Mae
by kat69d
Summary: Was fate the reason she was there that day? Was fate responsible for what happened? Or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
1. Chapter 1

**Note: I've been rewatching 'Criminal Minds' and this popped into my head...I'm working on the story but it should be a short-ish one...Hopefully people are interested...Enjoy!**

* * *

I opened the gate with the remote and drove through. I pulled up in the driveway until I neared the garage and parked the car. Glancing around the backyard, I sighed and got out. The few bags of groceries were easy to reach in the back seat and I headed towards the house. I loved coming here before to soak up the love and peace my family could give me but now the house was deadly quiet.

"Not too much longer," I sighed, dropping the bags onto the counter.

Putting away the groceries didn't take me long and I headed up to the guest bedroom where I was staying. With no real plans for the day and having a feeling of staying home, I changed out of my tops, skirt, tights, and boots. I left my fingerless gloves on and changed into black running shorts and a black tank top. Even if I was staying home, it didn't mean that I couldn't dress as myself.

"Mom would berate me if she could see me now."

This past year I had been living in Europe and then Japan and had gotten into the whole anime/manga scene. I had started to dress like the characters and then added in some gothic pieces to come up with my unique look. My brothers, especially my eldest, didn't like the look but my nephew loved it. He'd suggest a color and that would be the next color I would dye my hair. Currently, I had long dark purple hair with several teal streaks throughout.

Back downstairs, I hooked up my laptop and turned on my music so I could listen as I searched for a place to live. I couldn't stay living in my brother's old house forever. After an hour of combing through real estate ads and not finding anything, I headed into the kitchen to grab a drink. When heading back, I heard the front door unlock and open.

"Aunt Mae!"

Putting down my glass, I knelt down and scooped my nephew up into my arms. I hugged him close and looked over at my sister-in-law, well ex sister-in-law.

"Haley, what's going on? Why are you and Jack here?"

"Have you talked to Aaron lately?"

"He was supposed to get me from the airport yesterday but never showed up so I came here. What's wrong?"

"I have to make a call. They told me Aaron was…"

"Oh, God," I whispered, sitting on the couch with Jack and holding my breath as Haley made the call. I ran my hand over his hair while he played with mine. He was telling me all about what he's been doing while in hiding. Jack thought he was on vacation but vacation didn't include U.S. Marshalls following you and such.

"OK. We're here," she said into the cell before moving into the kitchen to hit the switch to open the gate.

She explained that a Marshall was coming to meet her and Jack to take them in. Something wasn't sitting right with me. Aaron had mentioned that they were being put into protective custody because a killer named Foyet might be after them. What better way to find them than lying about being a Marshall?

"Haley, did you know the Marshall who called you?"

"He was calling me from a secure number that I knew. Said that Sam was killed and our location had been compromised."

Jack climbed off my lap and pulled out a few toys from his pockets to play with on the table. I reached over and grabbed the cell phone I purchased that morning. The only numbers I had programmed into it were my brothers' numbers. Turning down my music, I pulled up my contact list and hit Aaron's number.

"Come on. Pick up the phone."

"Hotchner."

"Aaron! Oh, thank God."

"Mae? What's wrong? Where are you?" he asked quickly.

"At the house. Someone told Haley that you were…um…D-E-A-D."

Haley came into the room with an older man. He was dressed in dark clothes and had a look about him. When he saw me, that look darkened for a moment before taking on another aspect that I really didn't want to think about in that moment. I took a step forward and put myself in between them and Jack. Haley noticed this.

"Mae, what's…?"

"Put it on speaker," he ordered, grabbing Haley's wrist.

We shared a look before her entire body tensed. I held out the phone and put it on speaker.

"Aaron?" Haley called.

"Haley. Are you and Jack OK?"

The man, Foyet, pushed her towards us and stepped over to a chair. Before sitting, he flashed us a gun tucked into his pants. I took her arm and pulled her closer to Jack. The boy was oblivious to what was really happening in that room. For that, I was glad and wished Aaron would arrive before anything happened.

"We're fine."

"Don't show him any fear, any weakness. He lives for the control and power."

"Sam's told me about him," Haley replied, the knowledge of what Foyet did to his victims running through her mind.

"Probably because he sucks in bed," I muttered at the same time Haley spoke.

Foyet's eyes roamed over my body, the look from earlier deepened. He smiled and rather than cowering, I straightened my back, stuck my hands on my hips, and stepped closer. I mouthed 'Fuck You' to him and watched the smile widen. Haley was quietly sobbing beside me, her tears streaking the mascara down her cheeks.

"And who would you be?" he asked smiling.

"The help," I replied.

"She's Daddy's sister," Jack piped up.

"Well, well. That is a surprise," he chuckled, getting up from the chair.

Foyet moved towards my nephew so I called the boy over, offering him the phone; anything to get him away from the man who stabbed Aaron nearly 6months ago.

"Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, buddy. I need you working on this case with me. Do you think you can do that? Work this case?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Hug your Mom for me, Jack."

Jack handed the phone back to me and Haley took her son into her arms. She knew the possibility that we wouldn't come out of this unscathed and rather than watching the silent goodbye between them, I stared at the man across from me. The boy told Haley she was hugging him too tightly before she released him. Jack briefly hugged me around the legs before hurrying out of the room.

"So cute, like a little G-man. I'll be right with you, Jackie Boy," he called, pulling the gun from under his shirt.

"No, please," Haley sobbed.

"Haley, you were always much stronger than I ever was."

Foyet circled us but I followed him, always keeping Haley behind me. She was smaller than me in height but with similar weight. He wouldn't be able to get at her without taking me out.

"No parting words for your sister, Aaron? I'll be doing her nice and slow before finding that bastard child of yours and slashing his throat."

"You son of a bitch," I spat.

"You'll get here quick won't you, Aaron? You must tell Jack about how we met and that family is the most important thing and that you weren't always so serious."

"I promise, Haley."

"No. Jack's going to have both his parents," I said before I sprang at the man. "Haley, run!"

He raised his gun and shot me. I felt the bullet tear into my thigh but I kept going. He fired another shot before I knocked him back into the wall. I reached up for his gun hand and closed my hand around his and the butt of the gun. I brought up my injured leg and tried to connect with his crotch but he managed to block me. Foyet hurled me backwards and I fell onto the coffee table, landing on my laptop and causing the table to collapse.

The man stepped over to Haley's bleeding body. Her head fell to the side and I caught her gaze. The bullet had hit her in the chest. The gun was raised again and another bullet tore into her body.

"You're all mine now."

I pulled myself over to Haley's body and clamped my hands over the main wound. I knew there was nothing I could do but she shouldn't have to die alone and in pain.

"I'm so sorry, Haley."

Her eyes stared up at me and she coughed up blood once before her body went still. Foyet grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back from her. He shoved me onto the floor and straddled my legs, putting pressure onto my wound. I bit my lip from crying out.

"We have plenty of time before your dear brother shows up," he said, grabbing my head in his hands and driving it into the floor beneath me.

My vision started going black but obviously not quick enough because he did it again. The last thing I saw before falling unconscious was Foyet staring down at me grinning from ear to ear.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: I've been rewatching 'Criminal Minds' and this popped into my head...I'm working on the story but it should be a short-ish one...Hopefully people are interested...Enjoy!**

**Note2: This is short but covers the gory part...some description but not fully to keep up with the T rating...**

* * *

I was cold when I came to. Most of the cold was coming from underneath me. I shivered and slowly opened my eyes. My contacts were dry so I had to blink a few times to moisten them. Finally I glanced around and realized I was lying on the bare floor of the garage. Cement floors in November were going to be cold but the fact I was naked didn't help matters. My hands were bound together with rope and tied to the work bench while my legs were tied together but not tied down. The rope was pushing my bracelet into my skin but that thought flew out of my mind when I noticed Foyet standing above me.

"I spent hours with your brother, sliding my knife into his warm body. I wonder if I had the same amount of time with you, would you last like he did? Or keep as quiet?"

"Fuck you. Aaron's coming and he will kill you," I seethed.

"But not before I've had my fun," he goaded. "We're going to match when I'm finished."

Foyet sat on my knees and held up his knife. He started with a shallow, tip only stab into my right shoulder then moved to my left flank. As the knife went in, I tried to keep still but my body had other thoughts and jerked. The knife sank in deeper. The pain was sharp and nearly had me gasping but I remembered what Aaron said about him enjoying the power and control. I wasn't going to give this bastard any satisfaction.

"You don't want to do that. Keep still and you'll do less damage."

He pulled the blade out only to push it back in briefly to go deeper into my body. Foyet studied the bloody knife when he removed it before stabbing me again. I opened my mouth but was quiet. The sensation of the knife cutting through my skin was brutal. The pain was beginning to be overwhelming but I didn't black out. I tried to keep count but my mind was starting to get fuzzy.

"Finished but we still have some time."

He moved off of my legs and cut through the ropes tying my feet together. I could barely move and he knew that I wouldn't be able to stop him. I felt his hands run down my chest and stomach, getting coated in my blood before feeling them on my inner thighs. Foyet pushed my legs apart and shifted back in between them. I caught the sound of a belt unbuckling. My eyes flicked down and stared at him.

"Fuck you."

"No, fuck you," he said, sheathing himself inside me quickly and hard.

My body tensed at the intrusion but the added pain didn't even register. His fingers prodded each wound to keep the blood flowing. He wanted me to bleed out slowly or he would have done more fatal damage with the stab wounds. The killer didn't last long before his body tensed and he groaned. He pulled out and tucked himself back into his jeans. He stared down at me, watching me. I blinked several times, drawing them out before I relaxed every part of my body. With only a small amount of air in my lungs, I held my breath. I was 'dead' to his eyes.

I heard him leave the garage and counted for 60 seconds before taking in more air. It was getting harder to breathe and every inch of my body hurt. In those minutes I could only think about Aaron and Jack.

"Save him, Aaron," I prayed. "Please."

There was no way of knowing how much time went by or if Aaron had arrived yet. My body was shutting down because of blood loss and the only reason I wasn't already dead was because of the coldness of the garage floor. I barely heard the door opening.

"Oh, God. She's in here."

Whoever it was knelt beside me and reached out to touch me. I felt the fingers at my neck and I barely opened my eyes.

"She's still alive. Medic!" he yelled, pulling off his vest to cover me.

I tried to speak but he shushed me. My foggy mind recognized him but I couldn't remember his name. I licked my lips and tried again.

"Jack. Aaron."

"They're both fine. Hold in there, Mae."

Knowing that my brother and nephew were alright, I gave in to the darkness and pain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: I've been rewatching 'Criminal Minds' and this popped into my head...I'm working on the story but it should be a short-ish one...Hopefully people are interested...Enjoy!**

**Note2: Dedicated to busybeekisses19... I already had this written but great minds think alike!**

* * *

Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan stood in the doorway and looked down at his friend and boss Aaron Hotchner. The stoic man had collapsed to the floor beside his ex-wife's dead body. To his left, Morgan felt a person approach and saw the paramedic. Glancing back, he shook his head at the man.

"No. Go back downstairs and see if they need your help."

The paramedic turned to head back when his radio crackled. He listened to the message from his partner and took off. Hotchner, or Hotch as most people called him, gathered Haley in his arms and cradled her to his chest. The two had met back in high school and had a lovely life together. Then Hotch's job got in the way and it derailed the relationship; more so when The Reaper, George Foyet, had decided to go after his family.

Even though it meant hiding away his wife and child, the Unit Chief wanted them safe. He had even missed his son's birthday to keep them safe but Foyet had other plans. He killed the man who was protecting Haley and Jack and convinced them to come to him. He was beyond angry at Foyet and, while he never would admit it, a bit frustrated at Haley for believing his fake U.S. Marshall story.

The dread cemented in his stomach when he heard Haley talking to Foyet. He knew Foyet would have them go somewhere memorable for the family but didn't think about his old house until the gate had been mentioned. Foyet cut the call off after a farewell and Hotch sped faster through the city to get home.

When his sister called, his heart dropped. He couldn't have this madman nearly wipe out his entire family. He managed to have Jack hide using their special code and hoped Foyet wouldn't be able to find the boy before he got there. Hotch knew Haley would do everything to keep Foyet from their son but Mae would do everything and anything to protect both of them; even if it meant dying.

Finding Haley's dead body in their bedroom ripped the breath from his lungs. Hotch longed to fall to his knees and grieve but Foyet was still in the house somewhere. He had sent up a small prayer that Jack and Mae were still alive before engaging in a fight to the death with The Reaper. Part of him was shocked that he could beat a man to death but the other part of him was cheering him on to protect his family.

Morgan had been the one to pull him off of the dead man but it was J.J. who asked about Jack. The woman, a mother herself, could understand the need to make sure the bastard was dead but also knew that Hotch needed to find his son. When father and son were reunited, it was bittersweet. The boy clung to him for a moment before asking about his mother and aunt. Rather than answer, Hotch had J.J. take Jack outside. He didn't need to see Haley laid out on the bedroom floor covered in blood.

Taking charge for a brief moment, Hotch sent David Rossi and Spencer Reid to search outside for Mae. He, Morgan, and Emily Prentiss would search the rest of the house. But Hotch found his feet walking him back to Haley's body, hoping one of the team would find his baby sister quickly.

"Oh, God. She's in here," Rossi cried, through the earpiece.

"Hotch, Rossi found Mae," Morgan said, before tilting his head to listen for another second. "She's still alive."

The older man squeezed the love of his life to his chest once more before laying her body down. His hand caressed her cheek momentarily before he stood up. He had a desperate feeling that it might be the last moment he saw his sister alive. Hotch ran out of the room with Morgan on his heels. The two F.B.I agents barrelled through the back door and towards the garage. The sight shocked them both.

As an agent in the B.A.U, you prepare yourself to see brutal crime scenes but to know the victim personally was even harder. Hotch's hand covered his mouth as he stared down at Mae. The paramedics had her body covered with a sheet as they wrapped her arms in gauze but the blood was soaking through and Hotch knew what was underneath.

Another team of paramedics ran in with a stretcher and more supplies to staunch the bleeding. One paramedic cut through the ropes tying her hands to the work bench and saw the bracelet. He glanced at the back and his head jerked up to the people standing around them.

"Don't give her the injection," he ordered. "Who knows her?

"She's my sister. Mae Hotchner, 28. She's diabetic and allergic to penicillin and morphine."

"Call it in. Get more pads on the GSW and the wounds to her stomach. Sir, I'd recommend you step outside."

Hotch didn't want to leave his sister but Rossi whispered into his ear.

"I found her naked."

The three agents stepped outside while the paramedics worked on Mae. Morgan convinced Hotch to remove his outer shirt and find Jack. The boy didn't need to see all that blood. J.J. had kept Jack out front but when Hotch came down the driveway, he ran to his father.

"Daddy, did you find Mommy and Aunt Mae?"

"I did, buddy. They're going to bring Aunt Mae out in a minute and we'll be heading to the hospital with her."

"Did the bad man hurt her?"

All Hotch could do was nod and his son wrapped his arms around his neck in a hug. The two stepped back when the stretcher was wheeled down the driveway to the ambulance. They had covered Mae up in an extra sheet and a blanket.

"Would you like to come with us, Agent Hotchner?"

"No, we'll follow."

The stretcher was loaded up in the back of the ambulance and it took off to St. Sebastian Hospital. Hotch loaded his son into the back of the car and climbed into the driver's seat. Before he even turned on the car, J.J. and Rossi joined him.

"The others will follow in a moment."

He nodded and followed after the ambulance. Hotch himself had left this hospital 6months ago after his night with Foyet. He survived through 9 stab wounds and hoped his sister would survive her wounds. Needing to bury his wife was heartbreaking but also needing to bury his baby sister would be too much.

"Hotch, take Jack inside and check on Mae. I'll park the car," J.J. offered.

The paramedics who brought Mae in to the E.R. were still there filling out paperwork. The one who asked questions at the garage gave him a sympathetic look before breaking away towards them.

"They've taken her back but the doc said they may need to operate. The GSW nicked a vein and lodged in her bone."

"Thank you," Hotch replied.

He wanted to know more about her injuries but would find out later when he wasn't holding Jack. They waited for the doctor but it was nearly half an hour later before they were called. A nurse greeted the group of 6 agents and a boy.

"You are all here for Mae Hotchner?"

"Yes. She's my sister. How is she?"

"They've taken her up to surgery. The doctor will see you when he's finished. I can take you up to the surgical waiting room."

"That would be great. Hotch, maybe you should get checked out," J.J. suggested.

He stubbornly refused and the group followed the nurse. Jack fell asleep while waiting for word about his aunt. As long as someone was holding him, the nightmares didn't get too bad to wake him. When their friend and technical analyst, Penelope Garcia, arrived at the hospital, she brought Hotch's go bag so he could change out of his bloody clothes. The blond took a seat next to Morgan and silently asked how the girl was doing. He could only shake his head, having no new news.

"You don't have to wait with me. Head home and I'll let you know how she's doing. I should call Sean and let him know. He might have felt something was wrong."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, tucking her brown hair behind her ear,

"Sean and Mae are fraternal twins. The first time Sean rode a two-wheeler and fell off skinning his knee, Mae burst into tears and grabbed her own knee. When Mae broke her leg, Sean said he felt weird and limped for a couple of days."

"There's no scientific proof that twins have an extrasensory perception for each other," Reid stated.

"It doesn't happen every time but with something like this, I'm sure he felt something."

Hotch broke away from the group after being told they would wait for Mae to get out of surgery. He dialled Sean's number and waited.

"Hey. It's Sean and I'm not here. I'll call you back if you leave your info after the beep. BEEP!"

"Sean, it's Aaron. Call me. Mae's in the hospital."

The group didn't have to wait much longer. A middle aged man in bloody scrubs stepped into the room.

"Mae Hotchner," he called.

The group stood except for J.J. who was holding a sleeping Jack. The doctor headed over and looked at the group. He noticed the weapons clipped to everyone's belts except for the bubbly blonde. The nurse mentioned family waiting so he assumed she was an undercover agent and these people waiting were her team. Undercover because he couldn't see the F.B.I or C.I.A letting their agents dye their hair multi-colors unless on a case.

"What can you tell us about Mae?" Hotch asked.

"She sustained a GSW to the left thigh and the bullet lodged into the bone after nicking a vein. We managed to close the vein and retrieve the bullet. It nearly fractured the bone so she will be in a cast while the bone heals.

"She was stabbed about a dozen times, hitting nothing vital. The person responsible must have studied anatomy at one point to know where to stab without doing major damage. She was also raped and samples have been collected for your lab to analyze."

No one noticed as Hotch flinched at the doctor's words.

"We're giving her antibiotics and something for the pain. She will probably remain unconscious for a few more hours due to the anaesthetic. Barring no complications, she should be ready for discharge in about a week."

The doctor was hesitant to mention something and the profilers noticed. Rossi asked, more so demanded that the doctor didn't hold anything back. The man sighed and looked over the group.

"Mae might not have even known but she was a few weeks pregnant. The embryo didn't survive."

Hotch sat in the chair beside his son and thought through everything he had heard. He knew Foyet was a sadistic killer so he understood about the stabbings and inflicting as much pain as possible. The man had never sexually assaulted his female victims before but the man had gotten excited when he was stabbing Hotch, though never climaxed or assaulted him. Why had Foyet raped his sister? Was it a shot at him? He must have been thinking about doing maximum damage to the Hotchner family, expecting Mae to die in the garage and leaving Hotch with the mental picture.

"Thank you, Doctor. When can her brother go in?" Rossi said.

"She should be out of Post-Op in about an hour and taken to her room. You can go up then. One of the nurses will take you."

The man left and the team looked at their boss. They could almost see him age in front of their eyes for what's happened that day. J.J. laid her hand on his arm and he turned his brown eyes onto her.

"I could use a cup of coffee. Did you want one?"

"No thank you. You should get home to Will and Henry. You all don't need to stay. Once she's settled, I'll probably take Jack to a hotel to sleep. I should call Jessica, Haley's sister."

"Hotch, did you want me to contact her? You should be focused on your sister right now," J.J. offered.

"There's not much I can do for her now."

Hotch got up and stepped away again to make the call to his ex-wife's sister. As he was dialling her number, Sean called back.

"Aaron, what do you mean Mae's in the hospital? Did they call you from Japan?"

"She must have flown in recently. I'd rather not tell you about it over the phone. Please just come to St. Sebastian Hospital. She's out of surgery and unconscious but I know she would love to see you when she wakes up."

"I'm on my way and if I get any speeding tickets, they can shove them up their asses."

His brother ended the call without saying goodbye and Hotch took a second to collect himself before he called Jessica.

"Do you think their family is going to make it?" Reid asked, looking over at Hotch.

"It's going to be tough but I hope so," Morgan replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: I've been rewatching 'Criminal Minds' and this popped into my head...I'm working on the story but it should be a short-ish one...Hopefully people are interested...Enjoy!**

* * *

My entire body hurt and the cold had seeped into my bones. I could feel the blankets piled on top of me but I was still shivering. I could hear the beeping of the machines and remembered that I had been found. The machines could only mean I was in hospital. My mind flashed through everything that happened and my green eyes opened wide.

"I hope that motherfucking asshole is dead," I muttered before letting out several foreign swears.

"He is. Aaron took him out. How are you doing? Do you need something for the pain?" Sean asked from his seat next to my bed.

"Nah, I'm good," I lied.

"Bullshit, Mae. You always lie when it comes to pain. You've done it since you were a kid," he replied, reaching over to hit the call button. "You brushed off your broken leg like it was nothing and the doctors almost had to put a rod in."

"Then why ask? Never mind. How's Aaron and Jack?"

"Jack knows you're hurt and that Haley is gone. Aaron's holding it together for now but when he finally takes a second to sit, it will hit him hard."

"I tried, Sean. I really tried to get Haley out of there but he was too quick getting that shot off," I cried.

"It's not your fault, sis."

The door opened and an older woman walked in. Her pink scrubs were hard on the eyes, even without my contacts in. Part of it was the bright, almost neon, color and the other part was because I hated the color.

"It's good to see you awake."

"Thanks but the pain kept nagging at me to wake up. Its voice is quite annoying. And before you ask, it's nearing a 7 and yes, Sean, I'm being truthful."

I knew my brother would be smiling at my remark but I couldn't see how the nurse took it. I could make out something in her hands and her head nodding.

"It has been a few hours since your surgery and the anaesthetic must have worn off. I'll be right back."

She left so I took the moment to ask Sean about my injuries. He explained about the cast but that was it.

"I remember what happened but I was in La-La-Land when they patched me up. How long will I be stuck here? The wounds will scar, won't they? Will I look like Frankenstein and have a limp? That might work for next Halloween. I already have the boots and the costume shouldn't take too much to make."

"Enough, Mae. You have a year to worry about Halloween. Aaron's talking to your doctor right now and Jack's with the team. He wanted to wait with me but we all knew you'd wake up swearing like a sailor so that was out."

"I'd like to see them before I fall asleep from the meds. Any chances my glasses are here so I could really see them instead of a blurry blob?"

"I believe Aaron had someone get a few things for you from the house."

I thanked Sean before he walked out to get the others. This definitely wasn't the home welcoming that I had planned but a crazy psychotic killer can put a crimp into plans. I had no idea how long I would be stuck in the hospital or even have a place to go to once I was discharged. Aaron's condo was only a 2 bedroom and Sean was in New York.

The door opened while I was making a list of things to do but the feeling of a little hand on my own snapped me back to reality. I gazed down at my nephew and smiled.

"Hey, little man. Come on up and give your aunt a hug."

Aaron went to protest but with a look, I had him helping Jack up onto the bed. He carefully hugged me and settled down against my side. The boy was being very careful of my bandaged arms but didn't know about the pressure he was putting onto the wounds underneath the blanket. I didn't mind the extra pain to know he was safe and there with me. Aaron handed me my black glasses and I pushed them onto my face. It was nice being able to see.

"So what's the verdict? A couple of days? A week?"

"A week, depending on how you're doing. The cast should be able to come off in 4weeks. They did what they could with the wounds but they will most likely scar."

"Jack's safe, that's all that matters. Aaron, I'm sorry for not being able to…"

"Mae, it's not your fault. Sean mentioned it to me in the hall. I heard you through the phone and you did what you could."

"I should have done more."

My eldest brother grabbed my hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb in small patterns. He used to do that all the time when we were younger. He gave me a small smile and noticed Jack had fallen asleep. Aaron took the seat Sean had vacated and brushed the hair back from his son's forehead. The nurse slinked into the room and was quietly going about injecting the pain meds into my IV.

"Sorry but I need to check your sugar levels. Because of your current state, we need to test regularly to make sure you don't fluctuate too much but you are getting some insulin through your IV," she said while I nodded my head since I knew the procedure.

The reading was normal and she left. I could feel the meds kicking in so I focused on Aaron before I fell asleep.

"I love you, Aaron."

"Love you too, Mae."

It was morning when I fully woke up next. Besides an odd moment through the night, the pain meds kept me out. The room was empty but I could make out my glasses sitting on the little table so I put them on. Taking stock of my arms, I pushed back the blanket and lifted up the collar of the hospital gown to check out my chest and stomach. I could only make out half a dozen but seeing it in a mirror would be easier.

"Mae, lower your gown. You have visitors," Aaron said from the doorway.

"It's not like I'm offering anyone a peak. Besides all you see are my boobs and bandages. And the bandages would distract someone from seeing what's really important."

Someone chuckled while one tall, thin man blushed. I smoothed down the gown and pulled the blanket back up.

"While I've never met any of you, Aaron and Jack have told me about all of you so I think I can figure out everyone. Derek Morgan. Jennifer Jareau. David Rossi. Emily Prentiss. Dr. Spencer Reid. Penelope Garcia," I said as I pointed at them.

"I love the color of your hair," Penelope gushed.

"Thank Jack. He's the one who told me what colors to do. You're their tech guru, right? I should show you my awesome…fuck! Aaron, my baby? What happened to my baby?"

The group shuffled their feet, looking to my brother. He stepped up to the bed and shook his head.

"It's gone."

"Fucking shit! She was custom made and set me back thousands! But I should be able to recover and use my backup though."

"Mae, what are you talking about? The doctor didn't think you even knew you were pregnant."

My eyes went wide and I stared at my brother before laughing.

"I was pregnant? I'm talking about my laptop. My custom made baby. Best of the best programs, some of which aren't totally legal, some I designed. The bastard pushed me and I landed on it. Did the doctor say how far along?"

"A few weeks."

"Hmm. Oh, Jay. Lead singer for the band I saw in concert. Our munchkin would have been adorable but what can you do. At least I don't have to worry about getting pregnant by that asshole."

Noticing the awkwardness from the group, I changed topics. Remembering what Aaron had told me about his team, I asked questions about their families or favourite past times. Derek even mentioned one of his properties when I said about looking for a place to live. The conversation was all over the place, jumping from one person to the next or following the topic when someone mentioned something and going off on a tangent.

"Excuse me but I need to check on Mae and it's time for breakfast. Visiting hours don't really start for another hour so you shouldn't even be in here," a nurse spoke up from the doorway.

"Well they are so suck it up. They could be flying out at any moment to catch the next serial killer and if it means they come an hour before visiting hours start, so be it. If you really have that much of a problem with it, I will sign out AMA and doctor myself at home. I am quite capable to do it."

"Mae," Aaron warned.

"Don't start with me, Aaron Gregory Hotchner. You know how I get when I'm low."

"Perfect reason for you to let the nurse do her job. Sean promised to bring Jack by later. I have a few things to work out with Jessica about the funeral."

The team bid farewell and left my hospital room. I let the nurse do what she needed and hated every moment. I was capable of testing myself or giving myself insulin but it's hospital policy for the staff to do it so I couldn't. Breakfast was bland but I did enjoy the shot of pain meds afterwards, drifting off to sleep once again.

Jack was curled up against my side when I woke a few hours later. Sean was sitting in a chair beside me, texting on his phone. His blond hair was getting long and fell into his eyes. I smiled before letting him know I was awake.

"How are you doing? I tried to keep Jack off the bed but he said you allowed him to yesterday."

"It's fine and I'm actually doing OK. But I don't know how I'm going to survive a week here. I'll talk with the doctor whenever he stops in."

"Her, actually. Dr. Nicholls."

"Oh, does my twin have a crush on my doctor?" I teased.

"She's pretty but no one can compare to my girl back in NY."

Sean hadn't mentioned a girlfriend the last time we Skype'd so I had him spill all the beans. Whenever Jack shook in his sleep, I calmed him down without taking much attention off my brother. Life was going to be interesting but at least we didn't have to throw a trial into the mix. Sean asked about life in Japan and about Jay. Aaron must have told him about him.

"It was love at first sight, Sean. His eyes stared into mine and I knew that my life would end if we didn't get together. It was so magical," I gushed. "No, really. He was up on stage doing his thing and I saw him looking. When they took a small break, I headed to the washroom and someone stopped me, handing over a backstage pass.

"The band was there for a couple of days and we spent most of it in bed. We exchanged info but the band is on tour for the next several months. It was just a very pleasurable fling."

"Ew. I did not want to know that about my baby sister."

"Come on, Sean. You really didn't think I was still holding onto my V-chip, did you? Lost that when I was dating Bobby."

"You were 15!"

"And I've been on the pill since then. I'm not some irresponsible girl, Sean. I have plans for the future."

Jack woke up so we switched to a kid friendly topic or sat back watching TV until Aaron showed up. He had spent the morning with Jessica going over the funeral details and he looked wiped. Between Haley's death, my injuries, and comforting Jack, I knew he wasn't looking after himself. I shared a look with Sean and he responded with one of his own.

"Come on, Aaron. Let me take you and Jack out for some lunch then back to the condo. You look like you could use some sleep especially when you didn't go home last night."

"Don't make me use your middle name, Aaron. I was asleep and Jack needed you at home."

"Sean was there."

"Well, Sean could have stayed here if you were so worried while you took your son home. Now, let Sean take you out for some real food and go home to rest. I'm fine here but if I hear that you are not taking care of yourself, I will sign out and be even more of a mother-hen at your condo."

Aaron bent down and kissed my forehead. "Love you too, sis."


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: So some of the dialogue is straight from the show...and the house is awesome (I wanted something that could work in the older areas of Virginia so I spent 1.5hours researching online but kept coming back to this house)...Enjoy!  
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**Note2: can't put a link to a picture of the house but Google 'Aladdin the Marsden'...the best pic is on the antique home style website...  
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Four days was as long as I lasted in the hospital. There wasn't much I couldn't do for myself at home that the nurses or doctors could do for me there. The only awkward part was the cast but that's because it went from upper thigh to mid-calf. If it hadn't lodged in the bone, I wouldn't have even needed a cast but if it had been up higher in the bone, I would have been stuck in the hospital in traction.

During my stay, I had talked with Derek about a short term lease on the house he had to rent. He kept rattling on about it being a kit house from the 1920s through a company called Aladdin and the design was The Marsden. It was the pictures that drew me in. The house was one of those houses with a large porch, slanted roof, the two windows on the second floor were right in the middle, and a fireplace. The outside was done in a semi-contrasting tone: dark siding but a slightly lighter roof. The woodwork inside was breathtaking and it was a decent size house with 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor. Derek hadn't even told me about rent when I told him I wanted the house. Sean and Aaron were their typical selves and wanted me to think about it.

"OK…I want it," I said, after a second pause.

Besides I knew the type of man Derek was and I could trust that he wasn't renting me a dump. If that had been the case, I would have sic'd Aaron on him. It was sparsely furnished but that was fine for the time being. As long as I had a place to sleep and a couch to lounge on, I could make it work.

The day I was released was interesting and a God-send. Sean, Aaron, and Jack came and brought some clothes for me. Obviously Aaron was the one who grabbed them because he brought the plainest things he could find: a black skirt, a T-shirt, and a hoodie. He did bring underwear and a bra but the bra cut into a couple of the wounds so I had to go without. Jack helped me by tying up the Converse sneakers on my feet. Sean pushed me out in the wheelchair while Aaron carried the crutches I needed until the cast came off.

Seating arrangements in the SUV had me sitting sideways with my leg up on the seat and over Jack's lap. My nephew used the drive to the house to tickle my foot until I could barely breathe. Derek was at the house waiting with his dog. The German Shepard mix was beautiful and as soon as Jack was out of the vehicle, he ran right up to the dog. Clooney, I later learned, loved being around children.

The bed I had been using at Aaron's old house had been moved in for me and my things were brought over. Everything was good to go, except I didn't have my laptop, although Aaron mentioned that Penelope was working on it since it was more of the casing that had been damaged. Derek left a bit later and us Hotchners sat down for a pizza dinner.

For the funeral, I went more somber in my look but my purple and teal hair didn't help matters. I kept my hairstyle simple by straightening it and leaving it down. I paired up a medium length black A-line skirt with a long sleeved black top. I draped a printed gray and black scarf around my neck and wore a pair of 1 1/2inch heels. All of my boys looked dashing and I hated knowing it was for Haley's funeral.

There was a large crowd at the cemetery. Haley's sister was there, plenty of friends, Aaron's team, and old her work associates. Derek, Sean, David, and 3 guys I didn't know helped carry Haley's casket to the plot. Aaron, Jack, and Jessica went behind it while I came behind them with J.J., Emily, and Spencer. There was a little bench that Sean wanted me to sit against but I gave him a look and stood beside Jessica.

Aaron's speech was beautiful and I could see tears in nearly everyone's eyes.

"If Haley were with us today, she would ask us not to mourn her death but to celebrate her life. She would tell us to love our families unconditionally And to hold them close, because in the end, they are all that matter," he said.

Aaron then quoted from the play where the two had met before the funeral was concluded by the priest.

Friends placed the white roses on top of the casket and I waited with Sean and Jessica until near the end. I laid my rose down and whispered my apologies again for not being able to save her. We headed back to the procession of cars to be taken to the reception. Rather than keeping Jack standing with us to accept condolences, we sent him off with Sean and some cousins. I leaned on my crutches a bit, next to Aaron, before he demanded that I go sit.

"Spiffy cane, Dr. Reid."

"Why do you consider it spiffy, Mae?"

Because of the cast, I could only sit on the edge of the chair and perch so I eased my ass down and stretched the leg underneath the table. I glanced over at the food table and then focused back on the man beside me.

"Just because."

"What because?" he asked.

"Because it's classier. Because it's not crutches. Because it means you don't have to sponge bath yourself. Because you don't have to worry about slipping off the edge of your seat."

"I would suggest you stop drinking then," Kevin joked.

The others looked at the man like he had spouted a second head while I enjoyed the joke. I had been introduced to him and Will, J.J.'s partner, while accepting condolences.

"Sadly drunk walking and crutches don't go together. I'm already in a cast and if I break something else, I'm sure Aaron would put me into a bubble to protect me."

Derek placed a small plate of food in front of me so I thanked him with a small peck on the cheek.

"Hey. That's my chocolate Adonis," Penelope warned, shaking her finger at me but smiling the entire time.

"Who can turn down chocolate? It is an aphrodisiac and tastes delicious. But sadly, I'll have to stick with store bought chocolate. I don't date friends of my brothers. I did that once and watched everything explode."

We watched David approach Aaron and then as they headed outside.

"What do we do?" Emily asked, glancing out at my brother.

"There's nothing we can do. We just gotta wait him out," Derek replied.

"You think he'll ever come back?"

"Would you?" J.J questioned.

"There's no way Aaron would quit. He'll go back, just give him some time."

"How can you be so sure, Mae?" Penelope said.

"I know Aaron. He became a prosecutor to put criminals away but that wasn't perfect. Then he joined the B.A.U. and this is a job he absolutely loves doing. As Jack would put it, you're superheroes. All of you help catch the criminals before they can claim more victims. Honestly, don't you get a surge of something knowing you saved someone? Aaron won't back away from feeling that."

"But what about Jack?" J.J. asked as we saw Jessica helping Jack pick a sandwich from the table.

"My stubborn brother will have to learn to delegate and I'm sure any of you would offer to help him with paperwork so he could get home to Jack at a reasonable hour. He won't be alone and both Jessica and I live nearby if the team gets called away on a case."

Derek's phone buzzed and nearly everyone at the table tensed.

"They can't be calling us in, not tonight."

"I'm on it," J.J. said, pulling out her own phone.

"We can't go," Spencer sighed.

"We have to. I'll go get Rossi," the dark man said.

The others stood up from the table and I lifted myself up and leaned on the crutches.

"Thank you all for coming. I know Aaron and Jack appreciate it."

Emily nodded while Penelope came over to give me a hug. Everyone shared a look with Aaron before leaving. I sat back down and picked at the food on my plate. I spotted Sean over in a corner talking on his cell, probably to his girlfriend.

"Excuse me. You're Hotch's sister, aren't you?"

"I am. Mae," I introduced myself, looking up at the handsome man.

"Grant Anderson. I was one of the pallbearers."

"Yes, the elusive pallbearer. Please take a seat."

Grant sat down and I noticed his blue eyes. I am a sucker for blue eyes.

"I'm sorry for your loss and the injuries you received."

"You didn't inflict them so there's nothing to be sorry for. If it kept Jack safe, I would have gladly taken more."

Grant didn't know what to say to that so he swiftly changed topics.

"I heard you were living over in Japan before moving back. How was it? I did some traveling in Europe a few years ago but never made it to Japan."

"It is so different than here or anywhere else. I had only planned on visiting for a couple of weeks but then that stretched to a few months. I was supposed to visit South America after Japan before coming back so I guess I'll have to travel there another time."

"Did you have a difficult time talking with people?"

"Nah. I have a knack for picking up languages. I speak 5 languages other than English but plan on learning a couple more if school doesn't get too crazy."

Grant sat with me for a few more minutes before Aaron joined us. Jack hurried over and climbed into his lap. I could tell that the boy was tired. Aaron held him close and brushed his fingers through Jack's hair. I smiled at Grant while nudging the man beside me.

"Take Jack home. Read him a Captain America story and tuck him into bed. Then have a glass of scotch and tuck yourself into bed. You both are exhausted."

"There are still so many people here," he complained.

"If they don't understand, then they can deal with me. I'll stay and say your goodbyes for you. Both of you need to sleep."

Aaron stood and Jack wrapped his arms and legs around his dad. My brother bent down and kissed me on the forehead.

"You're the youngest but you're the one looking out for me. It should be the other way around."

"The maternal instincts are finally kicking in. Mom worried that I didn't have any. Now go. Swing by the house tomorrow before you take Sean to the airport."

"I love you, Aunt Mae."

"Love you too, little man. Maybe make Daddy read you 2 stories tonight. Sweet dreams."

"You came with us. How…"

"Don't worry about it, Aaron. Just go."

Aaron and Jack said goodbye to Sean and Jessica before leaving. I smiled again at Grant and apologized. He understood and then even asked if there was anything I need. I agreed that I could use another piece of cake from the dessert table. The man was quick to get me one. As I watched him go, my twin took Aaron's seat and chuckled.

"He works with Aaron."

"True but all we've done is talk. He was interested in my time in Japan."

"Sure. How are you doing? I haven't seen you take any of your pain meds."

"I'm fine, Sean," I replied.

"Bullshit. You're in pain. Mae, you were attacked barely a week ago. Take the damn pain meds."

"Goddamn it, Sean. I have been. I took some over an hour ago when I checked my sugars. I may be crazy enough to attack a man with a gun but I'm not crazy enough to live with this kind of pain. I know you're my big brother but if I could, I would kick your ass right now. I don't need you to get all protective over me," I seethed. "Oh. Thank you, Grant."

With the man's return, Sean let up on the harassment and the two talked sports. I savoured the chocolate cake since I don't usually indulge on sweets. I watched the room and saw the number of people slowly trickle down to a handful. Jessica was rounding up her kids so I knew she would be leaving soon.

"Mae? Mae? Earth to Mae."

"Huh? Yeah?"

The two laughed at me and Grant offered to drive us home. We accepted and I slowly got to my feet. Taking my time, I made my way to the front and spoke with the coordinator. Most of the food had been packaged up for us to take home. Sean took a tray of sandwiches, leaving the other tray for Jessica. The tray was easy to slide into the trunk of the SUV while I worked my way to the driver's side.

"Did you need a hand?" Grant offered.

"It should be easy to move along the seat."

I put the crutches down on the floor and lifted myself onto the seat. I slid down until my leg was rested on the fabric.

"See. All set."

Grant closed the door and once we were buckled in, we left. Aaron's place was on the way to my house so we dropped Sean off first. Talking to Grant from the backseat was almost like chatting up a cabbie. He told me a story from when he was traveling and managed to fall up stairs, banging his shin on the metal edge. His leg had turned a nice dark black within minutes.

"Impressive. I've managed to fall up stairs but never quite like that," I chuckled.

When we reached the house, Grant was right beside me in case I needed a hand. Standing on the porch with the door unlocked, I turned to face the handsome man.

"Thank you for the drive home, Grant."

"It was no problem. I know the team is away on a case and Hotch will be with his son but if you need a hand with anything, please call me," he said, handing over his card.

Glancing at the back, I saw his cell phone number had been jotted down. I smiled and hobbled inside.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mae."

He didn't leave the porch until I had the door closed and locked. I watched as he got near the SUV when he reached into his pocket. I had sent him a smiley face through text so he would have my number too. Grant waved before getting into the vehicle and leaving.

"Why couldn't I have met him before all this happened?" I muttered as I headed up to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: The timeline may be a bit unrealistic but it's how I wanted to do it...There will be 1 more chapter, like an epilogue...Enjoy!**

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A week after the funeral, Aaron had Jessica and I over for dinner. When he mentioned that his boss stopped by to offer him early retirement, I budded in and told him he wouldn't take it. Jessica and I had talked earlier and agreed to look after Jack for him. Neither of us were profilers but we knew Aaron needed to stay with the B.A.U. It was in his blood.

The cast was able to come off early and I couldn't have been more grateful. I still needed to use the crutches so I didn't put complete weight on the leg but that was fine. The first order of business was taking Aaron and Jack out shopping to furnish Jack's bedroom. My nephew couldn't believe he was getting his own room at my house. He picked out everything to do with Captain America. I picked up a few things for the house to finish furnishing it.

Grant had visited a few times and we hung out for hours. Since Penelope was able to fix my baby, I hooked it up to the big screen and showed off most of the pictures from my vacation. (I went through 3 large memory cards and had them backed up on 2 different drives just in case). He would ask about some of the more interesting pictures and I would launch into the complete backstory. He seemed to enjoy listening to all of my exploits.

Aaron went back to work and I looked after Jack when he wasn't in school. Jessica was busy with her own family and I had the time since I wasn't starting school until the new semester. The first case was turning into a long one so she took him once or twice so I could have a night off. Those nights tended to be my date nights with Grant. He was being very considerate and gentlemanly but all I wanted was some hot passion. I was getting so frustrated at taking things into my own hands.

"I have no clue as what to do without totally freaking him out," I whined.

We were having a girls' day shopping for Christmas but had stopped for lunch. The girls knew I was kinda seeing someone but I hadn't bothered to mention who exactly. Emily said I should make him jealous to the point where he would have to 'claim' me. J.J. said I should just sit him down and speak with him.

"Make him walk in on you while you're 'playing' and then he might get the hint," Penelope giggled.

"I don't know. I think Spencer would faint dead away."

Emily dropped her fork and Penelope choked on her margarita. The other blond was glaring at me in a similar fashion to Aaron's glare. I smirked.

"You totally believed me! While Spencer does make my top 10 list, he works with Aaron. I've already told you that I would never date someone who works together with my brother."

"So, spill then. Who are you really dating?" J.J. asked.

"He is F.B.I. but doesn't work directly with Aaron."

"Mae Hotchner, you tell us this juicy piece of gossip or I will release a virus on your so called baby and wipe her clean."

"I would have to retaliate if you did that. I still have some seedier connections in Tokyo."

"Just tell us and then we might be able to help you with how to get rid of that frustration," Emily pointed out.

"Grant."

"Who?"

"Feds and their use of last names!" I exclaimed. "Anderson. We've been hanging out and talking since the funeral. Oh, God. I used my sister-in-law's funeral to meet a guy."

"You at least didn't use it to hook up. You only met him there. Wow. You and Anderson, huh?"

Since they knew Grant, in a way, they helped me devise a plan. This holiday season would actually be worth celebrating. We finished off lunch and went looking for items for the plan. Penelope and Emily both looked at home in this particular store but J.J. was a bit skittish. It didn't take long to talk her into getting something to surprise Will while I compared a few items. I ended up getting all three and a few other accessories.

David was throwing a Christmas celebration at his mansion and I had been invited so I asked Grant to come with me. It would be our moment to tell everyone even though he thought it would be better to tell Aaron beforehand. I pointed out that he wasn't dating Aaron so it didn't matter what Aaron thought. The man would keep it in and if there was a problem, he would confront me after the party. He hadn't public confrontations between family.

Grant came to the house to pick me up. He was dressed in a nice black tuxedo with black satin ribbing around the lapels. He had asked about the dress I would be wearing but I didn't even tell him the color. I told Grant to wait for me in the living room so I could come in and shock him.

The dress had a black satin bodice with minor boning to give it that corseted look and a satin underlay skirt with layered tulle overtop. The tulle alternated between black and silver. There was a small silver satin sash at the waist before flowing into the skirt. Because the bodice was strapless, I had a satin wrap to cover my shoulders and arms that was knotted behind my back. It was more to cover up the several healing wounds rather than for the cold. I chose black vintage heels to round out the look and would be using a sleek black wooden cane instead of the crutches.

I also changed my hair. I got rid of the purple and teal and went with a nice turquoise all over. I left my hair wavy and pulled it into two strategically messy pigtails. I straightened my bangs but curled the ends inwards. I went with basic eyeliner outlining my eyes and just clear lip gloss on my lips.

"How do you like it?" I asked Grant as I came into the living room.

He turned around and stared at me. His mouth actually dropped open. Grant walked over to me and stared into my eyes.

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you. You're so handsome I could eat you up," I replied, while adding on a mental _literally_.

"I think your Christmas present would go lovely with that dress."

"You didn't have to, Grant."

"But I wanted to."

"Well, I wanted to too but your present will have to wait until after the party."

Grant led me to the couch and I sat down. He took a seat next to me and reached into his pocket. In his hand was a long rectangular velvet box. I gave him a smile before he offered it to me. Laying the box in my hand, I opened the lid and stared at the necklace inside. It was breathtaking but casual enough that I could wear it with a fancy dress or jeans and a top. In the middle was a small silver heart (outline only) and from the heart's point, it came up to swirl around it three times before attaching to the clasp.

"It's beautiful, Grant. Thank you."

He put it on and I pulled him in for a kiss. Barely pulling back, our lips brushing against each other's, I told him we better leave or we'd never make it to the party. In reply, Grant gave me a small smile and hmm'd. At the door, we pulled on our coats and he carried the bag of small gifts that I had purchased for everyone.

David's mansion was huge and a few people were already there. After he answered the door, the older profiler gave both of us a knowing smile and a nod. Grant took the gifts to the tree while David escorted me into the living room.

"Mae, you look so pretty," Penelope gushed.

I gave the tech analyst a hug and commented on her dress. It was a dark blue which matched the glasses she was wearing and if you looked careful enough, it complemented the tie that Kevin was wearing. Grant joined us and rather than explaining, I clasped our fingers together.

"See, didn't I tell you that they made a cute couple," Penelope said to her boyfriend.

"Not cute. Hot. Lost for words. On fire. I haven't done cute since I was a kid," I joked.

"And I bet you were the cutest kid ever," Grant said.

"She was when our mother was forcing her into dresses or going to ballet classes in her tutu. Otherwise she was in ripped pants or covered in mud," Aaron said, joining the group.

I saw his glance to our hands and only because I knew his little nuances, I could tell he was alright with it. I gave my brother the biggest smile while squeezing my boyfriend's hand. More people arrived and we spread out on the couches and chairs. Every person in that room was dressed more formally but it didn't come with the snobbiness that formal functions strived for. Even Jack and Henry, J.J. and Will's son, were dressed nicely.

The dinner was catered and David brought out several good wines. I partook in one small glass for the toast but enjoyed the diet sparkling water he had supplied for me. The food was delicious and it wasn't until dessert that Spencer took notice of my closeness with Grant.

"Are you two dating?" he asked, biting into his piece of pie.

"Yes, Spencer."

"Your body language gives it away. The small touches, the leaning in to talk, Grant's hand on your leg."

"Aunt Mae, he my uncle now?" Jack asked.

"Ah, no? Kinda? Umm…you know how you call Jessica and I aunt because we are related to your mommy and daddy? There is another type of aunt and uncle. These people are part of your family even though you don't share blood. I know your daddy considers his team part of his family so they're your aunt and uncle. Grant's a really good friend but not part of this family just yet."

"What is Henry?"

"Henry is like your cousin; that is if it's OK with his parents and your daddy."

"Of course," J.J. beamed.

"I like cousins and aunts and uncles," the boy said before finishing off his dessert.

The table smiled towards the little boy and Grant squeezed my leg in thanks. We moved back into the living room once dessert was finished and Penelope started on handing out gifts. I hadn't expected anything but there were 6 in front of me beside the pile that Jack received. The boy had decided that my lap was his seat but after Aaron reminded him of my injuries, he shifted over onto my good leg. Luckily I was sitting next to the armrest so Jack could lean back on that. Even Grant had a couple of small gifts and with the looks that the girls were giving us, I whispered to him that he should be careful about opening them.

We each took turns opening a gift. I tried to pick something that would be uniquely for that person: funky jewellery for Penelope, cigars for David, homemade babysitting coupons and a reservation for a romantic dinner for J.J. and Will, a stuffed dinosaur for Henry, a book for Emily, a Doctor Who collectible for Spencer, a VIP pass to one of the best bars for Derek, and a gift card to a café for Kevin (only because I didn't know him that well).

I received a couple of books from Spencer and Emily, movies from Derek, J.J. and Will, an awesome skull T-shirt from Penelope, a worm program from Kevin, and a gift donation in my name from David. Grant didn't get far into opening his gifts before he spotted what was inside. He closed up the wrapping paper or the box before politely thanking the girls.

"Damn. I was hoping he'd go Reid-red," Emily whined.

"Reid-red? Didn't know Pretty Boy was a color now," Derek said.

Emily leaned over and whispered something in Spencer's ear. He blushed a nice red and she deemed that color as Reid-red. We all had a nice laugh before I reassured the genius that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

"In fact, didn't the owner of the store know you by name, Emily? Asked why it had been so long since you stopped in?" I smirked at her.

That got the group chuckling again while the entire conversation was ignored by the kids who were being entertained by their new presents. We stayed for another hour before the group trickled out. J.J and Will were the first to leave with a sleeping Henry. Derek, Emily, and Spencer were the next to leave. Jack was beginning to fall asleep so Aaron took him home with a promise to be at the house by 8 on Christmas Day.

"Are you sure, David, that you don't need help with anything?"

"The caterers took care of clean up, Mae. It's only wine glasses and they can wait until morning."

"Well then, it was a great party and thank you so much for inviting us."

I hugged the man and pecked him on the cheek. I bid Penelope and Kevin goodbye before Grant helped me to the car. The drive home was spent talking about the evening and our plans for Christmas Day. He knew my brother and nephew would be coming over while Sean was staying in New York with his girlfriend. Grant was heading home to his parents and family.

"I'm sorry about the gifts that the girls got you. They knew about us before this evening."

"It's alright, Mae. I know what a group of women can do when together," he laughed.

Grant came inside with me and placed my gifts near the tree in the living room. Since I hadn't given him his gift before the party, I asked him to get comfortable and I would go grab it. I hobbled upstairs into my room and removed the dress. I grabbed the chemise from the bed and pulled it on. I smoothed out the ruffled skirt and checked it out in the mirror. The red lace was thicker so it didn't show anything but a faint glimpse of my black underwear. I ran my red lipstick over my lips and slipped into my short satin robe. Leaving my heels off and the cane in my bedroom, I tiptoed down the stairs. The real gift was in the drawer of the hallway table.

He was sitting on the couch sipping at a drink. Grant had taken off his jacket and set it over the back of the couch. I leaned against the doorway and waited for him to notice me.

"Mae?" he choked.

I slinked over to him and undid the knot on the robe's sash. It opened to reveal the short chemise dress underneath. Carefully straddling his lap, I looked into Grant's eyes.

"Your gift is a two parter. This is Part 1," I explained, handing over the box in my hand.

Grant kissed me as he took the box. Inside were 2 tickets to Grant's favourite hockey team. I had scored tickets to the first game of the new year. He had mentioned that he would love to get season tickets but with how chaotic work could get, he didn't want to waste the money.

"Behind the glass? How?"

"You don't want to know. I just hope you don't get called into work that night."

His hand wrapped around the back of my neck and drew me in for a kiss. It started off soft before his lips pressed harder onto mine. I shifted and pushed in closer to his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck. His tongue trailed over the seam to my lips before I snaked my own tongue out to draw his in. I felt the surprise and had to smirk during the kiss.

Grant pulled back and looked at me before asking, "When did you get that?"

"I picked up some new balls and decided to give this nubbed rubber ball a try. I've had it in since yesterday to get used to the feeling on the roof of my mouth," I explained, leaning in to whisper into his ear. "Can you imagine what the feeling would be like on heated skin?"

"Mae, stop for a second. Please sit beside me. I know that your leg is probably killing you sitting like that," he said, shifting me off of his lap and onto the couch beside him.

"I want you, Grant. Don't you want me?" I pouted.

"Of course I do. How could anyone turn you down but I'm just worried that it's too soon. You were attacked a month ago."

"And I have been dealing with the attack. While not conventional, I have been talking about it. I have thought about it and rationalized what happened. The bastard is dead so it's not like I have to face him again. I don't want to dwell on it."

"Who have you been talking to?"

"A psychologist friend. She's overseas so it's been through email or Skype. She's encouraged me to write about it, just small blurbs or the full story. No one has read them, not even her, but she thinks just getting it out is better than keeping it bottled up. I plan on getting back into martial arts when I'm able."

"He had a knife and gun, Mae. There was nothing more you could have done."

"And I know that but part of me thinks I should have done more to protect Haley."

"But Jack was safe and protected."

"Thank Heaven for that. You know I would do anything for that boy."

"And you did. I hate to be blunt but Foyet stabbed you a dozen times before brutally raping you. I've seen case reports where the victim has never recovered."

"I'm not a victim anymore, Grant. OK, fine. I'll admit that I have minor flashbacks some nights but I'm moving on with my life. I start at Mendel University in January. I'm surrounded by family and friends and I thought I found someone I could be with. But I guess it's too soon for you."

"I would take you upstairs and ravish your body if I knew it wouldn't cause you to flashback."

"I want this. My body and my mind know this. I can't say for sure that something won't unconsciously happen when we're upstairs but I want to try. I have wanted to try for nearly 2weeks."

"Promise me that if you need to stop for whatever reason, you'll tell me. I don't want to push you."

"Grant, honey, you wouldn't be pushing me into anything. But if you're concerned, my safe word is _red_."

I quickly kissed his lips before getting up off the couch. I glided over to the doorway and slipped the robe off, letting it pool at my feet. Sucking a fingertip into my mouth, I glanced back at the agent. His blue eyes were darker with lust and desire and staring at my mouth.

"Coming?"

"Not yet since I want to replace your old memories with new pleasurable ones first," he replied, standing up and palming himself through his pants.

"We have all night to make plenty of memories and to maybe use those gifts you received."

It only took 2 steps for Grant to make it over to me. He kissed me hard and passionately before ushering me towards the stairs. He loosened the bow tie and draped it over the bannister. His fingers worked quickly on undoing the buttons on the shirt but didn't remove it. I ran my fingers down his chest and abs before hooking into his belt. I pulled him into my body and whispered into his ear. He was thrilled to obey my command and led me into the bedroom towards utter bliss.

* * *

**Note2: If you didn't realize it, she was talking about a tongue ring and replacing the top ball with a nubbed rubber one...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: So, what was going to be an epilogue isn't...I'm extending the story just a bit...Enjoy!**

* * *

I found that the say 'Time flies by when you're having fun' to be so true. Over the last few years, I kept busy doing things that I loved: taking care of Jack and Aaron, being with Grant, and school. Jack was growing up to be a bright boy. He always came home with a smile and great stories of what happened at school. When Aaron was away, we'd sit down and write him an email filling him in on the happenings or even text him a picture of Jack. If Aaron was home, we would have family dinners or I would bring over frozen pre-cooked meals to stock their freezer with. And then Aaron decided to compete in a triathlon and met a wonderful woman.

I could tell there was something more than just training happening and after a word with David, I finally knew about her. I had given my brother until after the triathlon to introduce us before I would hound him. Luckily he invited Beth to meet him at the finish line and she was introduced to the team, Jack, Grant, and I. The more I got to know the woman, I could tell she was good for Aaron. She would never replace Haley as Jack's mother but she was really good with him.

Life with Grant had its ups and downs. Between school, Jack, and his job, we could go more than a week without really seeing or talking to each other. We would send off a quick text when we had a moment but it was getting frustrating. We finally sat down and arranged one night a week that we would drop everything to spend it together. Jessica would take Jack if Aaron was out of town and the two of us would order in food and forget about the outside world. And if there was another evening then that was a bonus for us.

When David threw an impromptu wedding for J.J. and Will, Grant and I went together and faced the question of when we were going to get married. My response had been 'Who says we haven't already?' until it got back to Aaron and he gave me the patent Hotchner glare until I relented. Truth was, Grant and I knew we were committed to each other but didn't need the ceremony to show it. Rather, we moved Grant in and it became the Hotchner-Anderson household.

I was finally working on the degree that I wanted. Mom had balked at me being a scientist and would only finance me for a nursing degree so that's what I did right out of high school. She passed away a few months after I graduated so while I worked full time, I took classes towards my BSc in Molecular Biology. And rather than going on to do my Masters, I took a break from school and did my year long vacation.

Getting back into the routine of school wasn't that difficult and I made a few friends within my program and a few in the Genetics department. There were times during the first 2years that I could have cried from being overwhelmed but after a discussion with my family, I stopped cooking dinners for the entire team each week (with leftovers for them to take home) and allowed Jessica to take Jack more often. I hated giving up that time with my nephew but she was also his aunt and she had more free time.

While I had sat in on one of her Genetics lectures during my Masters, I hadn't formally met Dr. Maeve Donovan until the first year of my PhD program. I literally ran into her and scattered everything we had been carrying all over the hallway.

"I am so sorry, Dr. Donovan. I'm late for a family get together and wasn't looking where I was running."

"It's not a problem."

I helped her gather her things and then worried about my own papers. I apologized again before hurrying off to David's mansion for the get together. They had just finished a tough case involving children and everyone wanted to see Henry and Jack be happy and carefree. It was weird not having Emily there but the new agent, Alex Blake, was decent. I tried speaking to Spencer about his article on behavioural psychology but I realized I didn't have it.

Dr. Donovan was kind enough to return it to me and we discussed it over lunch before I passed on Spencer's email so she could tell him personally what she thought about it. She was in a different department than I so I didn't see her often but I would catch sight of her occasionally. When I had a question about genetics, Dr. Donovan was quick in returning my emails or arranging a lunch to talk about it but then it all stopped. I didn't see her around campus and her emails went unanswered. I tried not to dwell on it since she was busy supervising several PhD students but then I heard she had left Mendel University altogether.

I stopped in at the B.A.U with a goodie basket for the team and remembered that I had given Spencer's email to Dr. Donovan and wondered if they kept in contact. While the team was busy picking through the muffins and cookies, I pulled the genius aside and asked him.

"Who?"

"Maeve Donovan, a geneticist at Mendel. She read your article a few months ago and seemed interested in it. I'm just wondering if you've talked to her recently."

Dr. Spencer Reid may be a genius and studies behaviour for a living but he can't lie worth shit to friends. The tells weren't really noticeable but after knowing him for 3years, I could pick up on them. I played along and nodded to his response.

"Well, if you do, tell her I miss our lunches and talks. We still haven't determined how the cafeteria food was altering our DNA."

"Why would you be theorizing about that?" Spencer asked.

"It's cafeteria food. Oh…never mind."

That Sunday night I received an email from a blocked sender with a detailed breakdown of what foods would cause certain mutations. The entire conversation had started as a joke but she really put some thought into her response. Dr. Donovan signed off the email with a line of only 1 reply before the account would be closed. There was too much to say but to sum it up, I replied with one line.

_Call if you need anything, anytime. (202) 555-8029_

School picked up but I always wondered what happened to Dr. Donovan. I would send the occasional questioning glance to Spencer and he would reply with a smile. It wasn't until 2months later that I found out what was happening. Spencer called me out of the blue and asked if he could come over. Grant was working a longer shift and Jack was with Jessica so I invited him over and ordered Indian. Spencer still had his go bag with him when he stepped out of the taxi. The man seemed to be in a daze so I grabbed his bag and led him into the living room.

"Spencer, what happened? You look like you're in shock."

"She said I love you," he whispered.

I smiled and hugged him.

"That's great. I knew you were in contact with Dr. Donovan but hadn't realized you two had gotten close. So what happened? She said it and you left her hanging? Did you say it back? Was it at a romantic restaurant?"

"On the phone. It was the last thing she said to me. We haven't met."

"Oh. Did you want to tell me about it? I think you came over because you need to get someone's perspective on it and since I know Dr. Donovan a bit, I am a better choice than Derek or J.J."

Spencer launched into the complete tale, explaining their correspondence and Dr. Donovan's stalker. She turned down his help whenever he offered it because she was worried for him. The threats were brutal and I could understand her hesitation. He gave me the profile of who he believed was stalking her and the fact she's moved twice but he still finds her.

"Whoever the bastard is probably has some computer skills. Everyone leaves an electronic paper trail nowadays and if you can access that information, you can find out whatever information you need. Dr. Donovan…"

"Maeve. Call her Maeve, please."

"OK. Maeve's probably signed the leases with her own name and a credit check is typically done. He can find her new address that way or through the utilities. She needs to use a different name. You say you call a pager and leave the phone number? Disposable cells can't be traced but she probably won't leave to get one."

"She goes out in disguises now and then."

"If he knows where she's living, he could place cameras to watch her come and go. That way he knows what her disguises look like. There must be a way to get the phone to her. What about family? Does she have any?"

"Her parents but she never speaks about them."

"I could find out about them and send it to them to give to her but then..."

"I shouldn't have told you anything about it. Mae, she doesn't want me involved so I know she wouldn't want you involved. What if you do what you plan on doing and the stalker finds out you're helping her? He'll come after you."

"Spencer, she shouldn't have to lock herself away. Maybe if I stalk her, I'll be stalking the bastard and we can figure out who it is. Besides, I faced the so-called Reaper and lived."

"Barely. Hotch would kill me if he finds out you were injured because of my girlfriend," he said, gasping at the end. "I just called her my girlfriend."

"Yes, you did. Now you just need to tell Maeve. If you're not up to saying the exact words, I'm sure your ginormous brain can figure out another way. You can't really send her flowers or chocolate. Now, while I enjoy having you here and chatting over dinner, Grant should be home soon and you probably don't want anyone to know about Maeve. I'll drive you home."

"You're right. Thank you, Mae."

Spencer grabbed his go bag from near the door and I grabbed my bag while slipping on some shoes. The drive to Spencer's apartment wasn't long but he quietly stared out the window, his mind turning hundreds of thoughts over and over. I smiled at the cuteness of it all. I pulled my SUV to the curb near the front door and parked.

"Mention the disposable cell to Maeve when you talk to her next. Also, if she has been doing the leases under her own name, I'd recommend that she stops but not to use her parents. Since ID needs to be presented, she can't just fake a name. If Maeve needs or wants to move again, I'll sign the lease in my name. No real paper trail leading back to her. Hell, she could move in with Grant and I."

"I doubt she would take you up on your offer to move in but I will see what she wants to do. Thanks again."

Spencer got out of the vehicle and was walking towards the door. I glanced at two little kids across the street and the sight made my mind jump to a crazy idea. I watched one of little girls chase the other for another second before rolling down the window.

"Hey, Spencer. Are we sure that it's a guy stalking Maeve?" I called.

He stopped suddenly and turned to look at me. His head tilted in thought before he spoke.

"Ah, no? According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, less than 9% of women were stalked by another woman. I will have to talk to Maeve about that. Thank you. Goodnight."

"Night."

Grant wasn't home yet when I returned so I sat down and hacked Maeve Donovan's life. It wasn't hard to find the latest address or the fact that she had been engaged. Her fiancé, Bobby Putnam, had an active Facebook account which listed him as engaged 9 months ago but his status now read single. So something happened for it to end. But what?

"Hey. What are you doing still up? Don't you have an early lecture tomorrow?" Grant asked, walking over to me and kissing my cheek.

"Just some research," I replied, closing down the windows I had open on the browser. "Are you ready to head to bed or would you like to finish off the Indian food in the fridge?"

"Bed but not for sleep," he smirked.

"Perfect. I'm too wound up for sleep as well."

As we headed upstairs, one last thought lingered and that was to see if Bobby knew anything.


	8. Chapter 8

**Note: I took some of the dialogue straight from the script to get the scenes just right...don't kill me for it...Enjoy!**

* * *

It would be a couple weeks before I could hunt Bobby down in person. I drove past his building a few times and even managed to get inside but I never saw the elusive man. I hacked his life and even stopped in at his work but he was at a conference in New York. I was beginning to think the man was avoiding me but he wasn't even aware I was semi-stalking him.

When I heard that there was an apartment for rent in his building, I jumped at the chance to view the place and pretend to be a possible tenant. The apartment was spacious and had great vaulted ceilings but nothing would ever come close to the kit house. To keep up appearances, I knocked on several doors to talk with the neighbours. His place was the last one I visited.

"Hello?" a young beautiful brunette asked when she opened the door.

"Hi. My name is Tina and I'm thinking of leasing the apartment in the building. I just wanted to get some insight from the people already living here. Your place is very modern."

"It's my boyfriend's place. He's nearly finished with a conference call if you want to come in. I'm Diane."

I stepped into the apartment and looked around. The decor was masculine so if Maeve lived here with him, any of her personal touches were gone. Diane escorted me over to the couch and we chit chatted until Bobby was finished. She talked about school and I mentioned that I worked as a nurse in a hospital. She was going on about her theory of spontaneous cellular death in suicide cases. I half listened and mentioned a few attempted suicides I treated.

"Diane?"

"Bobby, this is Tina. She's thinking of leasing that apartment."

"Hi. I've gone around to a few of the owners to get their feel on living here and you were my last stop. I can't place from where but you look familiar."

"What do you want to know?" he asked, sitting on the arm of the couch near his girlfriend.

"Well, I noticed that the front entrance wasn't locked and I was able to walk right in."

"The lock broke yesterday. The building super should be calling someone in to fix it soon."

"Aside from that, how safe is the building? I live on my own so do I need to start carrying a Taser or pepper spray?"

He chuckled and shook his head.

"It's a decent place to live. No real problems. Maeve, my ex, lived here with me and would be alone when I was away for work."

I sat up straighter and gave them a look of 'AHA!' I even held up my forefinger.

"That's it. The café near Mendel. I used to go there to relax after a tough shift and I kept seeing you with a pretty woman."

I caught the look on Diane's face and quickly added on, "Not as pretty as you. The edgy clothes and vibe pushes you far ahead. Put a few color streaks in your hair and add glasses and you could have been my ex-girlfriend."

And now I was playing Tina as gay but it got that dark look off Diane's face. I mentioned that I haven't seen either of them around the café and he brushed it off with her being busy with work and that they weren't seeing each other anymore. I thanked them for answering my questions and left. I hadn't gotten much out of him but I doubt he would have confessed to stalking Maeve even if I had asked him.

I wasn't even in Virginia when Spencer called me to ask for advice. During their last call, Maeve had mentioned that she believed it was time for them to meet. He was very hesitant but then said that Alex agreed with Maeve. I stepped out into the hospital's hallway to give Sean some space and to placate Spencer.

"Obviously things have calmed down with the stalker. If she thinks it's a good time, then go for it."

"But what if she isn't attracted to me?"

"Spencer Reid! Even a blind woman would be attracted to you. Relationships built on looks don't usually last and from the way you talk about her, I know you're attracted to her even though you've never seen her. You two mesh intellectually and mentally. Take it from someone who knows both of you. She's a hottie and I know she'll think the same when you finally meet. Set up the date. I should be home next week and you can tell me all about it."

The genius finally relented and hung up. I stepped back into Sean's hospital room and stared down at my twin.

"If you weren't in the hospital already, I would put you in one. How could you be so stupid, Sean?"

I received no response from him except for the beeping of the heart rate monitor that was attached to him. I had woken up feeling weird and sluggish so I called Sean to see how he was doing. Finally on the fifth call someone picked up. A New York detective had to tell me over the phone that Sean nearly OD'd and was being rushed to the hospital. Not even a minute after terminating the call, I started throwing clothes into a bag.

While waiting for him to wake up, I called Grant to let him know I was visiting Sean but didn't mention the OD. If he knew the real reason, he would tell Aaron and Sean didn't need to deal with an irate older brother. I also called Jessica to see if she could take Jack if Aaron was called away on a case. She was thrilled to take him.

Two days. That's how long I sat beside his bed worrying and plotting ways to kill him if he should ever wake up. When he finally did, the only thing I could do was cry and hug him. He apologized for worrying me and even taking that hit of coke.

"How long have you been doing drugs?"

"I don't normally do coke; it's usually weed or some E."

"It's your life to destroy, Sean, but just remember you have a family who loves you and wants you to be around for the big things. Not just a memory or a passing comment of 'Oh, I wish Sean was alive to see this'."

"I know I screwed up, Mae. You didn't tell Aaron, did you?"

"No but I will if you fuck up again. I've looked into some rehabs around the city and I still have some of my inheritance so…"

"No. You are not paying to send me to rehab."

"Do you want to go to rehab? Do you want to get clean, maybe get your life on track? Do you think you could go through chef school while high on E? No, so rehab it is. Consider it a loan and once you get back on your feet, you can pay me back."

It took another few days to get Sean to agree to me paying for his rehab and having him placed. The program was an 8week in-patient with 8 more weeks as an out-patient. They had him on medication to help with the withdrawal symptoms but he wasn't in the hospital anymore and the shakes were getting bad. We said our goodbyes in the lobby before he was escorted to his room to settle in. I watched for a moment before heading back to his apartment to pack up.

His friend would look after the apartment while Sean was in rehab but I took anything of value with me back home. By the time the airport taxi pulled up in front of my house, I was completely drained. It didn't matter that it was the afternoon. I left the box of Sean's stuff near the door and headed upstairs to sleep. In my half asleep state, I didn't notice my own shakes until just before I blacked out walking up the stairs.

I could hear voices through the fog. There were 2 voices and someone else crying. I tried to respond or do something but I couldn't. I waited in the fog for a few moments before things became clearer. The voices became sharper and I could make out what was being said and I could feel my body and what was around me.

"Ms. Hotchner, we are taking you to the hospital. Your blood sugars dipped too low and you blacked out. We've started you on a glucose drip."

"Her hand moved. Daddy, I saw her hand move," Jack whispered.

It was hard but I forced my eyes open to see the roof of the ambulance but only out of my right eye. My left either wouldn't open or something was covering it. I glanced over to Jack and Aaron who were sitting on the seat beside the stretcher.

"My eye," I croaked, my voice hoarse and throaty.

"We found you at the bottom of the stairs. Your glasses broke and fragments from the lens might have gotten inside. They'll take a better look at the hospital. You also broke your wrist."

"Crap. At least I can manage with my other hand. It won't be clear but doable. I'll be fine, Jack. No one can keep your Aunt Mae down," I said when I caught the sad look on his face.

"You were shaking pretty bad, Aunt Mae, but Dad ran over to help."

The ambulance pulled up to the hospital and I was unloaded. I recognized a few of the nurses and doctors from when I worked there years ago. Aaron and Jack were made to wait out in the waiting room while the doctor checked me over. Blood was taken to run tests and an eye surgeon was called to check out my eye. Luckily it was fine except for some cuts at the corner. My left wrist was set and casted before my family could be let in.

"Have you called Grant?"

"He's on his way. He had called to let me know you were getting back today and Jack really wanted to see you. I'm glad I brought him over."

"I am too. I don't know what happened, Aaron. I checked my sugars before I got on the plane in NY. They were 6.2 and I didn't have anything on the plane."

"You'll just have to keep a closer eye on them and see a doctor if it keeps happening."

When Grant arrived, Aaron and Jack decided to leave with a promise of checking on me later. My boyfriend hovered over me while we waited for the lab results. He wouldn't even let me pick up a glass of water when I was thirsty. Part of me was touched that Grant was acting like this but the other part was getting frustrated.

"Grant, honey. I need you to back off a bit. I know you want to look after me but it's not like I'm an invalid. It's only a broken wrist."

"I had planned on being home today when you arrived but I was called in to work. I should have been there."

"It's not your fault. Everything is fine."

The curtain was pushed back and the doctor walked in.

"I have the results of your blood work."

* * *

"Mae, she's gone."

I sat up on the couch in an instant when Spencer spoke those words. My research papers scattered all over the floor.

"What happened?" I asked as I reached for my laptop and bag.

"Someone intercepted our call. I'm heading to the B.A.U and I called Hotch to meet me there."

"I can be there in 20."

I shoved my feet into my boots, locked the door, and ran to the car. I went over everything I knew on the drive. Pulling into visitors parking, I quickly pulled my black and purple hair into a make shift ponytail bun. Security gave me a look but they always did whenever I visited. I think it's from how I dress and today was no exception. I had on a long sleeve fishnet shirt over a tank top and ripped black jeans. Luckily the fishnet shirt had a bit of stretch to it so it fit over the cast on my wrist.

"Hey, Mae. Here to see your brother or Agent Anderson?" Leo asked.

He was one of the security guards who didn't look down on me in distain. We would have the occasional chat when I stopped by.

"Aaron," I replied, clipping on the visitors badge.

The elevator was taking forever to arrive so I sprinted up the stairs. Before pushing open the glass doors, I saw Spencer and Aaron walk out of my brother's office. The genius looked heartbroken. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to release the team from inside. They were all dressed comfortably since it was supposed to be their weekend off.

"Anyone know why we're here?"

"Something super important," I replied before heading in to the bullpen.

"Mae, now's not the time," Aaron said.

"I'm actually here for Spencer. He called me."

Aaron looked at the man beside him and leaned against one of the desks. I strode over to Spencer and pulled him in for a hug. His arms wrapped around me and gave me a squeeze. I pulled back and gave him a smile. I took a seat on his desk and waited for the others to get situated. Spencer gave a small recap of what happened that morning and then launched into some statistics of how he should be able to help but can't focus on anything for more than 4seconds at a time.

"Please help me. Help me find her," Spencer pleaded.

I got off the desk and wrapped my arms around him. I could feel his body trembling.

"We don't know if we have a case so we'll be working on personal time. Does anybody want to leave?"

No one moved or said anything.

"Good. Let's get to work."

We moved into the round table room and Spencer went into sharing mode and went through their relationship. He passed around the letters they had exchanged and spoke of several conversations they had about the stalker.

"So what do you know, Mae?" Derek asked.

"All of it and more. I knew Maeve through school and we would have lunch now and then. When Spencer came to me a month or two ago, I helped where I could. I suggested alternative ways to live because the stalker kept finding Maeve. She continued to use her name when signing a new lease so I offered mine or for her to stay with me but she didn't take me up on it.

"Her records show she owned a house but her ex said that Maeve lived with him. The building is secure and there hasn't been any crimes reported in the building or in the neighbourhood."

"You talked to her ex? What if he's the stalker?" Aaron asked with a hint of chilliness.

"Like I told him the real reason I was there. He didn't even flinch when I mentioned Maeve. His girlfriend seemed a bit moody but what girl wants to be reminded of a boyfriend's ex."

While I had been talking Penelope had been on her laptop, probably looking into Maeve.

"Oh, she's a smart cookie. She burned her credit history and nothing is listed under her name as of a month ago. Her parents did lease a loft last week though."

"Did they sell their house recently?" J.J. asked.

"I thought I mentioned not to use her parents."

"And I passed it on. We were to meet 2weeks ago but I thought I spotted her stalker so I told her to leave. After that night, I couldn't connect to that cell she bought so I went back to calling her pager. She only mentioned that she didn't feel safe anymore and was looking for somewhere else."

"She had my number. I could have rented a place for her."

"Morgan, you and J.J. go check out the loft. Blake and Dave, go to Mendel."

The room cleared and Aaron approached Spencer. They chatted quietly before leaving the room.

"What else did you dig up on Maeve?" Penelope asked.

I pulled out my laptop and opened the small file I had saved. I showed her everything and even what I could dig up on Bobby and Diane.

"Why the new girlfriend?"

"When Maeve was brought up, her face, I don't know how to explain it but something was there. I lightly hit on her and she calmed down. I know age isn't a huge deal but she's 25 and he's about 10years older. With her being in grad school and him working as a broker, I can't see how they managed to get together."

We poured over more records until Grant spotted me. He came to see how I was doing and why I was there. When I saw Spencer coming back, I gave Grant a kiss and hurried to the genius.

"She was engaged," he sighed.

"To Bobby but from what I could find, they broke it off just before she left Mendel, before she started to have feelings for you."

"Her parents say he was controlling of Maeve."

"And he might have been but the tone of the stalker's letters doesn't fit Bobby. Are you going to talk to him?"

"Yes. Morgan and J.J. found the loft in shambles. There was a struggle."

"We'll find her, Spencer."

"Reid, I have a picture of Maeve if you want to see her," Penelope offered.

"She's already the most beautiful person I know and I would rather see her in person for the first time. Thank you though, Garcia."

He headed out to talk to Bobby and I could see this was weighing on him. I asked the brightly colored woman beside me to dig more into Bobby and Diane. The stalker could be someone close to either of them wanting Maeve out of the way. I poured through the letters again hoping to see something.

My phone rang but the display read 'Unknown Number'. I glanced over at the tech analyst and connected the call.

"Hello?"

"Mae."

"Sean, what's wrong?" I asked, moving to the other side of the room.

"I don't think I can stay here any longer. I might have screwed up."

"What did you do?"

"I managed to sneak out and…you know."

"Damn it, Sean. Why? You've been there for a couple of weeks and you go fuck up. Don't you want to do this? For yourself, for me, to see your nephew grow up? It's almost like you're trying to kill yourself."

Something was tugging at my memory when I said that but I focused on my brother instead.

"I'll call the director and see if we can keep you there. You don't know what I had to do to get you in there. I'll call you once I have things straightened out."

"I'm sorry, Mae."

"I still love you, Sean, but your little stunt disappointed me. Don't worry. I'll get things worked out for you."

Sean apologized again and I hung up.

"Mae, is everything alright?"

"I hope it will be. I'll be in Aaron's office making a few phone calls."

I headed to the office and sat down on the couch. Taking a deep breath, I pulled up the director's number in my contacts list and hit dial. At first he didn't want to agree with me to let Sean stay but I managed to convince him that Sean really did want to get clean. He agreed but only if Sean was moved into a closed unit and he would start completely over. And that meant more money. Sighing, I agreed and promised to send a cheque with the difference.

I called Sean's current unit and had a message passed on to him. I threw down my phone on the cushion next to me and leaned back. This day couldn't get any worse. After a few minutes, I grabbed my phone and headed to the little break room. I filled a cup with some of the coffee and added sugar.

"Whoa. I don't think I've seen anyone add that much sugar into their coffee other than Reid."

"I think I'm going to need it. So what did you find out, Derek?"

"The fiancé recognized Reid. Hotch wasn't too happy but we found out that the stalker had been following Maeve before the phone calls and letters. Putnam had some photos. J.J. and Garcia are scanning the photos in to take a closer look at them."

"Cool. I'll head over in a bit. There's something that I want to check."

I was dialling the number to Mendel University when I walked into the round table room. As I was waiting on hold to be connected to the Genetics department, I checked my blood sugars and was glad that I had added all that sugar to my coffee. I sipped at the hot sweet beverage before I was connected.

"Hi. I'm Mae Hotchner over in Molecular Biology. I found a partial doctoral thesis from a former student and had a few thoughts. It theorized a connection between suicide and cell death."

"Yes. I remember that one. Diane Turner. A bright research assistant but didn't have the basic research to present. Dr. Donovan had to deny her entry into the program."

"Oh. When was this?"

"About a year ago."

"Thank you."

I hung up the phone and ran out of the room I caught Spencer and J.J. in the bullpen.

"I think I know who it is."

"Who?"

"Diane. She applied to the Genetics department and was turned down by Maeve."

"That would explain this."

J.J. handed me the photo in her hand and it showed Maeve's face blacked out. I took a closer look and it wasn't marker.

"Is this..."

"Black eyeliner."

"You were right, Mae. You thought it could have been a woman."

"We need to get Bobby away from her. She knows you are closing in on her."

"Wait. She called me Doctor. Hotch didn't even have time to introduce me. She already knew who I was."

"Damn."

Spencer went to find Aaron and J.J. left for Penelope's office. I grabbed my laptop from the round table room before heading to Penelope's. I was let in and saw the background information on Diane Turner on her computers. J.J. left to join the team in searching Diane's apartment. I settled at the table behind the analyst and dug more into her background. It showed the double suicide of her parents when she was a child.

"There's something attached to her phone line," Penelope said.

"Can you figure out what it is?"

"I can with some time. Did you find something?"

"Her parents killed themselves."

I was about to call Spencer to let him know when Penelope's phone rang. It was J.J. asking about a video feed. I watched as she tried to hack the connection. I wanted to help them and thought about sending Diane a text but I wasn't trained in dealing with psychos and then I thought about if I said something wrong and she hurt Maeve. I tucked my phone back into my pocket.

"She's one crazy woman. J.J. said she had a shrine to her dead parents on her wall."

"That's it. Diane has a video feed in her apartment and it's connected to her cell phone. She's at a second location. There's nothing in her name but the apartment so check her parents. Maybe she used them."

"Mae, Morgan just called. It seems Diane and the fiancé are gone. I've located a loft that was rented in her parents' names. It's next door to the loft where Maeve was staying," she said after working her mojo.

"They were right there this morning. Damn it."

Someone knocked on the door and Penelope got up to answer it. Grant walked in behind her and spotted me.

"There you are. You've been here for a few hours and I doubt you've eaten. That sugar saturated coffee isn't going to be enough."

"But we've got her, Grant," I said.

"No. The team has her. You're here because you helped Reid and know the victim. Mae, you need to eat and keep your sugars stable."

He gave me a look and I slumped my shoulders. I knew how important it was but I really wanted to be there when they took the bitch down. I closed my laptop and said goodbye to Penelope. Grant escorted me to the small café a couple blocks away for a quick bite to eat.

"You look exhausted, Mae. Maybe you should try to rest in Hotch's office when we get back."

"I can't sleep while they're out there dealing with Diane and trying to get Maeve back. What happens if she's injured or worse, dies? Or if Diane hurts someone from the team? And then there's Sean and his crap."

"What happened with your brother? I thought he was doing OK."

"Just an issue with where he's staying at the moment."

Grant and I finished our meal and headed back to the F.B.I building. He kissed me and sent me back to Penelope's office. She was doing some digging but not about Maeve's case. We already knew where she was and the team just had to get her out. There was no way for us to patch into their communications to know what was going on so until someone called us, we could only pray.

The call came in an hour later and it seemed that our prayers went unanswered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Note: So here it is...a long final chapter...Enjoy!**

* * *

I climbed the same stairs as the past few days and was surprised to see both Penelope and J.J. outside of Spencer's apartment. Several gift baskets were sitting outside and another was still in Penelope's arms.

"Morning. Sorry, I'm late, Spencer, I had a doctor's appointment."

"What are you doing here, Mae?"

"My vigil of support," I replied, dropping the pillow and yoga mat onto the floor.

"You sit outside all day?"

"No. I go out to walk around the block occasionally. I usually pack enough lunch to give Spencer some and it's typically gone when I get back from my walk. Why don't you leave that basket and head to work? I'm sure you have an important case to get to."

Penelope set the basket down while I arranged myself against the wall near the door. The two women waved and bid Spencer a goodbye. I pulled out my book and found the spot where I left off. I knew that Spencer's mother had been a 15th century Literature professor so I located a book she probably taught from and was reading it to him through the door. I went through a couple chapters before taking a break.

"I know it's hard to lose someone you love, Spencer, but you can't shut out those who love you. We want to support you in this in any way possible, not out of pity but because you are part of our family. You were there when Haley was killed or when Derek needed help with his cousin. That's what family does for one another. We look out for each other."

I dug into my bag and pulled something out. I smiled at the photo before pushing it under the door.

"Do you think you could look after one more?"

I heard Spencer move away from his spot on the other side of the door. It was about a minute later when the door opened up and he stared down at me, the picture in his hand.

"You shouldn't be sitting out there on the hard floor."

"I have my mat and pillow but if you're inviting me in, I'll accept."

I stood up and gathered my things. Pushing a couple baskets into the apartment, Spencer got the hint and grabbed the others. He left them on the floor by the door before moving over to the couch. Leaving my stuff by the basket, I joined him. He was staring down at the ultrasound.

"He looks to be about 20weeks."

"Nearly 23weeks. Grant and I found out when I fell down the stairs. We haven't told anyone yet."

"Why did you tell me?"

"So you have something to look forward to. And don't go on about the Reid-effect. Both Henry and Jack love you and I'm sure mini-Hotch will too."

"Mini-Hotch?" he smiled.

"Yeah. Don't you think his face matches Aaron's no-nonsense glare?"

Spencer gave a small chuckle before a forlorn look took over. I gave him a one arm hug before tugging on his hand.

"Go to bed, even if you don't sleep. I'll tidy up and start on something for you to eat."

"There isn't much in the kitchen."

"Then I'll go get groceries. What have you been eating when I'm not here?" I asked.

He shrugged. I shook my head and pulled him up off the couch.

"Your bed is calling."

Spencer bent down and picked up a book off the coffee table. He clutched it to his chest and shuffled over to the bedroom. Before closing the door, he turned around.

"Thank you, Mae."

"It's no problem, Spencer. I hate to see someone from my family in pain."

He closed the door and I got to work. I piled the books on the floor in front of the bookcases and straightened the fake house plants. I had to crawl under the couch to locate all the chess pieces but soon the set was all together again. I spent another 10minutes just straightening up the living room. Then I went to check what the kitchen had.

"Coffee and moldy Chinese. Oh, Spencer," I sighed.

I found his keys sitting on the table near the door and jotted a note stating where I was going. The nearest supermarket was a few blocks away. I grabbed a buggy and started on the aisles. From all the meals I've cooked or have been part of, I had an understanding of the food Spencer enjoyed. I stocked up on some canned goods, cereal, and granola bars before moving to the freezer section. Lastly, I did produce, fruits, and meat.

It took three trips to get all the groceries up to Spencer's apartment. I cleaned and then arranged his cupboards before starting in on dinner. The sandwiches and fruit I had brought for lunch were in the fridge for whenever he woke up. The chicken sizzled in the pan while I cut up the other ingredients for the stir fry. I was making a large amount so he would have leftovers.

My phone rang and it was Grant. He took to calling near lunch time to see how I was doing. I reassured him that things were slowly getting better. Before he said goodbye, he mentioned that the team was going on a case to San Francisco.

"Grant, can you bring a copy of the file and a map of the city to Spencer's apartment? It'll give him something to focus on aside from Maeve and the baby."

"You told him."

"It got him to talk to me. Sitting outside and talking to the door has been weird but he's at least said a few words to me. Gotta run. The chicken needs stirring. Love you."

"Love you more, Mae."

Spencer didn't come out of his room at all before I had to leave. I checked in on him and found him curled up on the bed, still clutching that book. Tiptoeing into the room, I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead.

"Don't forget that we're here for you, Spencer Reid."

I left him a note on his bedside table about the stir fry in the fridge and that I had his key to lock up behind me. I promised to be back tomorrow. I grabbed my stuff and headed off to Jack's elementary school to pick him up.

* * *

When I began to really show, I had to tell everyone about the pregnancy. Aaron was upset that I hadn't told him sooner but was thrilled. Jack loved the idea of being a cousin and was always asking about the baby. The team was surprised but happy for Grant and I. The girls promised to throw me a baby shower even though I told them that I didn't need one.

The only person I couldn't tell was Sean. He had finished his in-patient program but never showed up for the subsequent appointments. I had even travelled to New York to see him but his apartment was cleaned out and his friends didn't know where he went. Any calls were sent to voice mail and I never received any back. I was tempted to tag his credit history so I would be notified if he ever applied for a job or tried to lease another apartment but he was an adult. If he wanted to screw up his life after I tried to help him, then he could deal with any problems himself.

I had to take a hiatus from my PhD program because I couldn't work on my research in the lab while pregnant. I did work on it from home through old fashioned research but it didn't amount to much. Since I didn't have school to focus on, I worked on the nursery and relaxed. Jessica took Jack a bit more often because of the pregnancy and how tired I was getting further on into it.

"Aunt Mae, what will you do while Daddy and I are in New York with Beth?" Jack asked as we packed up his homework.

"The same stuff I do when you're not here with me. Why do you ask?"

"I don't want you to be lonely."

"I won't be, little man. I have Grant to keep me company. You know your cousin should be arriving in a few weeks so we have to get ready."

"I love you, Aunt Mae."

"I love you too, Jack. Come on. Your dad should be here any minute to pick you up."

They were leaving the next day to see Beth for the weekend. Jack had been rambling about the different places they planned on seeing while in New York. Aaron knocked and I let him in.

"So enjoy the Big Apple and say hi to Beth for me."

"We will. Do you want any kind of souvenir?" he asked, grabbing Jack's backpack from me.

"No but if you see a little baby onesie with 'I love NY' on it, please get it."

He chuckled and Jack gave me a quick hug before they left. I settled on the couch with a book and waited for my man to come home. Whenever Grant came home from work, he would pamper me and I quite enjoyed the massages he gave me.

We both were at home the following day getting the last minute things set up for the baby. The nursery had been finished last month but we had waited on purchasing clothes and such for him except for a few things. My OB doctor had figured that he was going to be about 9lbs at delivery but why spend the money on baby clothes that might be too small for him.

That night Grant and I were cuddled on the couch watching a movie when the phone rang. He picked up but handed over the phone to me, saying it's Beth.

"Hey, Beth. What's wrong?"

"Sorry to call but Aaron just received a call from Sean. It sounds like he's in trouble."

"That's OK. I'm glad you did. I'll check the schedule for Amtrak and catch a train. I shouldn't be driving that long alone. When I get into Penn Station, I'll call Aaron and figure out where Sean is."

"Won't it be too early in the morning? Why don't you head to a hotel and find Aaron and Sean at a more decent hour?" Beth said.

"No. If I sleep on it, I won't want to kick Sean's ass then. I'll text you when I get on the train."

Grant looked resigned when I turned to him. I dropped the phone to the coffee table and cuddled back into my guy's arms.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"I know he's your brother but do you really think it's a good idea to run off to New York? Our baby is due in just over 2weeks and you know that any kind of stress could put you into an early labour."

"It's not like I will be in the middle of whatever is going on. I'm just going to talk to Sean, kick his ass, and threaten him. He hasn't come back in nearly 4years to see Jack and I won't allow him to do that again. He's part of this family."

Grant helped me up off the couch and to pack a small bag. I didn't plan on staying long. He mentioned about coming with me but I reminded him that any time he took off before the baby arrived, would cut back on the paternity time he had. A short drive later to Union Station, Grant was kissing me goodbye and promised his own ass kicking to Sean if anything happened to me.

I sat back on the train and texted Beth. My train wouldn't be coming in until around 2am but if what Sean was involved in was serious enough to call Aaron, someone would be at a police station. Now would it be for investigating or for being arrested? I passed the time by listening to music and reading through _The Iliad_.

When the train pulled in, I disembarked and heading into Penn Station. Taking a moment to pull out my laptop, I tracked Aaron's cell phone through his GPS and a handy program Penelope 'lent' to me. There were a few taxis waiting outside and I scanned the drivers. I wasn't taking a chance in getting into a taxi with a sketchy driver.

"Midtown North Precinct, please."

I watched as the buildings flew by and paid the driver when we pulled up outside. I grabbed my bags and heading inside. The police officer watched me enter and waited until I stood in front of the counter before talking.

"What can I do for you, ma'am?" the officer asked.

He was my age and he had the nerve to call me ma'am. I knew he was being polite so I didn't say anything about it. I stowed my bags in front of my feet and stared at his brown eyes.

"I am looking for my brother, F.B.I Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. I know he is here and I hope it isn't because our brother Sean was arrested."

"He was in our conference room a moment ago. We just received a call about a rave with similar deaths."

"Deaths? What kind of deaths? What does Sean Hotchner have to do with these deaths?"

He pulled out a file and checked through it. The officer was shaking his head.

"Sean Hotchner was a witness of a death at a club a few hours ago. He should be back in the morning to do a formal statement."

"Oh, good. I'll just call Aaron and find out where he is then."

I took a seat on one of the benches along the wall and called my older brother.

"Mae, what's wrong? Is it the baby?" he immediately asked.

"What the hell is going on, Aaron? What's with these deaths and how is Sean mixed up in it?"

"How do you know about the deaths? The entire team hasn't even been told about them yet."

"A nice police officer sitting at the front desk of the Midtown North precinct informed me."

"You're here, aren't you?"

"He mentioned a rave. Are you on your way to the crime scene or still in the precinct?"

Rather than reply, Aaron hung up on me. I glared at the phone and was ready to hit redial when I spotted him coming down the hallway. Tucking the phone away into my bag, I sat waiting for him.

"Beth called you, didn't she?"

"Of course, she did. Sean is my brother too so when he calls you out of the blue saying he's in trouble, I have the right to know. Now where is he?"

"His place, as far as I know."

"What happened, Aaron?"

He sat beside me and told me about the girl overdosing on Ecstasy. Several previous deaths were identical and now the partiers at the rave. Aaron was on his way to the crime scene and nearly demanded that I head to a hotel to rest, that there was nothing I could do until morning.

"Nothing? I can find where Sean's staying and kick his ass. He shouldn't be around that kind of shit."

"What are you talking about, Mae? Sean's a bartender so he's bound to see people on drugs."

"Bartender? What the hell happened to chef school? That's another thing to kick his ass about."

An older woman stepped out of a room, about halfway down the hallway where Aaron came from. She spotted us and came over.

"Agent Hotchner, are you accompanying me to the crime scene?"

"Yes, thank you. Mae, go to a hotel and sleep. Come back in the morning and after Sean's done giving his statement, I'll let you talk to him."

I thanked my brother and called a taxi to take me to a hotel. Because I didn't want to pay through the nose, I ended up checking in at a Best Western. Once in the room, I didn't even bother to unpack. I went straight to bed in hopes that the morning would come sooner and that meant talking to Sean.

After a quick breakfast in the adjoining restaurant and a short taxi ride later, I was back at the precinct. A different officer was stationed at the desk but Aaron had instructed them into letting me through with a Visitors badge. I followed the directions to where the conference room was and spotted the team.

"Morning," I called.

J.J. and Alex turned and greeted me. Derek offered me his chair and Spencer asked how I was doing before spouting off on how I shouldn't be in stressful situations.

"Guys, calm down. I'm here about Sean and once I say my piece, I'm heading home. Aaron said he was due in to make a statement this morning."

"Hotch has Dave doing the interview right now."

"Yes, an unbiased view. Aaron mentioned that the deaths were due to an overdose."

They filled me in on what they suspected the Ecstasy was made with. A door banged open and Aaron barged through to the room next door. The door didn't close and I could hear Aaron yelling at Sean.

"What do you mean you were using?"

"Shit," I hissed, getting up and heading over to the interview room.

"I've been clean for a couple months. Linda helped me get off the drugs," Sean replied.

"Which drugs?"

"Ecstasy. I used Ecstasy."

I pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Sean's eyes snapped over to me and went wide.

"God damn it, Sean. I warned you that I would kick your ass if you fucked up again."

Both Aaron and Dave turned to face me. I had my hands on my hips staring down my twin.

"You knew? Why didn't you tell me, Mae?"

Dave got up and offered me the chair. He took a spot leaning against the wall with his notebook. Aaron moved to the end of the table to face both of us. He was glaring at us with a look of disappointment in his eyes. Sean was still focused on my pregnant belly.

"I did what I could by getting him into rehab. It was Sean's decision not to inform you of what happened. Just like it was his choice to fall back onto drugs. At least it wasn't coke."

"Why didn't you tell me about it last night, Sean?"

"I'm clean."

Aaron and Sean argued back and forth for a bit before Sean finally stormed out. I toddled behind him until the hallway where he eventually stopped. He turned around with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Were you ever going to return any of my calls? Or were you too high to do so? I called and even visited but you were gone. Why, Sean?"

"When I got out, Thane gave me a job. It was there and I didn't use much. When Linda and I got together, she helped me get clean. She was there for me."

"And I wasn't? I dropped everything to be there for you when you nearly OD'd. I got you into one of the best private rehabs in the city. Did I ever once say I was disappointed in you? Sure, I called you stupid but anyone who does drugs is stupid."

"Not everyone can have the perfect life like you, Mae," he yelled.

I caught sight of the team looking over at us but ignored them. I poked Sean's shoulder with my finger several times, backing him up into the wall. I was angry that my own brother was using my life as an excuse for using.

"Perfect? You think my life is perfect? Who had to deal with Mother most of the time? Who had to fight off one of her suitors when she was passed out drunk one evening? Who lived through being raped and stabbed a dozen times? Who deals with the constant pain and agony and can't take anything stronger than Tylenol? Me. That's who.

"You don't have the right to call my life perfect when it's not. No one's life is perfect, Sean."

"You have the job, boyfriend, house, child that you've always wanted. Why don't I have anything that I've wanted?"

"I worked my ass off to get where I am and things slid into place. You got into Georgetown Law but you knew that wasn't where you would be happy. You wanted to be a chef but did you ever apply to the school? You chose to do drugs and that's what screwed up your life. Not me," I seethed.

A throat cleared and I turned to face the police officer.

"Ma'am, you're bleeding," he pointed out.

He was right. My water broke while we fought. Sean started screaming for Aaron while I stared at my wet pants. Grant had warned me about stress and our baby was coming early because of it. Someone brought me a chair to sit down while we waited for the ambulance. J.J. asked about contractions and I shrugged her off.

"I'm in constant pain so I probably won't notice it."

"The doctors could have given you something to help with the pain through the pregnancy," Alex said.

"I wasn't going to risk it after finding out so late into the pregnancy. I weaned myself off to give the baby a chance at being healthy."

Aaron was on his phone with Grant, letting him know I was in labour and that I would be heading to hospital soon. The EMTs arrived and helped me onto the stretcher.

"Ma'am, I need to check how far along you are," one said while the other checked my blood pressure.

"I'm far enough along that this baby wants out."

After a quick exam, he said that I was about 5cm dilated. Aaron came with me in the ambulance because Sean immediately backed up when I looked at him. The team offered to bring him along. The trip to Roosevelt Hospital was quick and the nurses took over.

"Sir, I need you to step outside. We need to change your wife into a gown and then the doctor will be in to examine her."

"Ew, that's just wrong. He's my brother, not husband," I shuddered at the mere thought.

Aaron stepped out of the room while they did what they needed. A monitor was strapped on to my belly and we watched as it blipped for a contraction. One nurse was surprised that I didn't feel it so I told her about the Reaper's everlasting gift.

"Mae, you have dilated another 3cms. I expect this baby to be born in a couple of hours," the doctor said.

"Grant's not here yet. Give me an epidural. That can slow down labour."

The anaesthesiologist came to discuss my options and I was adamant to have one in hopes that Grant would arrive before the baby. I definitely felt the needle being inserted into my spinal column and that slow numbing feeling taking over my body. While the epidural only numbed from my belly down, it did cut my pain down drastically.

The team streamed in when the nurses allowed them. Sean was standing outside of the room, hesitant to come in. I waved him in but he backed up. Shrugging my shoulders, I chatted with my friends. Aaron had called Beth to tell her and she was on her way with Jack. The boy was over the moon to know his cousin was coming soon.

"Mae, the monitor is showing contractions every few minutes," Spencer pointed out.

"Damn. This kid really wants out if he can't even wait for his father," I replied, pushing the nurses' button.

"We'll go to the waiting room. We can discuss the case while we wait."

"Thanks for coming here. I know you could be out hunting down the bastard who cooked the E."

"You're family. We wouldn't be anywhere else," Derek said.

The room cleared while the nurse checked me. I was still at 8cm so Grant might arrive in time. The nurse asked about the blond guy standing outside my room and offered to bring him in.

"Just let him know I'm fine. He thinks he caused me to go into labour early."

I watched as the message was given to him and the weight on his shoulders was removed. His entire body uncoiled and relaxed. Sean nodded and looked to me before walking away. Swearing, I shifted onto my side and got comfortable. Aaron brought Jack by about 10minutes later and he was asking so many questions. He even asked if he could see the baby being born.

"Honey, even some adults can't handle seeing a baby being born. When your cousin is here and cleaned up, then you can see him. He's going to be pretty icky."

"Aunt Mae, why is Uncle Sean not here?"

Aaron and I exchanged a quick look but didn't get a chance to speak when the door opened.

"Because I went to get this."

Sean had gone down to the gift shop and picked up a stuffed version of my favourite Sesame Street character, Snuffleupagus. He came over and took a seat on the bed. Looking between all of us quickly, he apologized for how he acted. He didn't promise to change because we knew it might not happen.

"All I ask is that you don't be a jerk. Come and see us, or just return our calls so we don't worry."

He handed over the Snuffy stuffy and agreed. The door banged open and Grant stood in the doorway.

"You made it! Wait. How did you get here so fast?"

"One of the F.B.I pilots has a personal 2seater plane so I paid him to bring me. I couldn't miss the birth because I was stuck on the highway. Thank you, Aaron and Sean for being here with Mae. And you too, Jack. Can't miss the best cousin ever."

Jack leaned over and gave me a quick hug before he left with Aaron. Sean and Grant caught up while I held onto Snuffy. I don't know why but I asked Sean if he wanted to stay in the room while his nephew was being born.

"Like you said, some adults can't handle that and I think I might be one of them. I can wait to see him when he's all clean and hasn't just been pushed out by my sister. But thank you. I know I've screwed up lately and your faith in me is still so strong. I'll try not to make it waiver."

"Love you, Sean. Now, if you don't want to be here while I'm in labour then you might want to get out and send a nurse in. I'm having the urge to push."

My twin scurried out of the hospital room and a nurse soon replaced him. I was at 10cm and ready to deliver. The doctor was called in and I did what I needed to deliver my son.

Michael Eric Anderson was born weighing in at 8lbs 11oz and nearly 22inches long. He didn't have a lot of hair but his eyes were more blue-gray. I knew that the color might change as he gets older but I said a little wish so they wouldn't. Holding my son in my arms was like Heaven on Earth.

"I will protect you with my entire being and to my last breath. I have pledged this to my family and you are now part of that family. Welcome to the world, Michael. May Fate be kind to you."


End file.
